


Saving the Avengers

by chaosgroupie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-05-16 20:29:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 146,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosgroupie/pseuds/chaosgroupie
Summary: Imagine if you could save your favorite characters. If you could go back in time and change their fate, make it so some of the horrible things that happened to them, didn't happen. Would you do it? Would you change their fate? This is a question that Brianna asks herself when she finds out that the Avengers are real, just in a different reality than ours.This is a sort of AU. Basically, it's me fixing the movies, making some of the bad things not happen. Especially since I'm still bitter about the end of Endgame.This is the timeline I'm using for anyone who is curious. I've put stars next to the things that I'm changing when they happen (from the official Marvel timeline  https://screenrant.com/mcu-timeline-official/).1945   CA: TFA1995   CM2010   IM2011   IM2, H, T, CA: TFA (end)2012   A, IM32013   T: TDW2014   CA: TWS, GOTG, GOTG22015   A: AOU, AM, DS*, SM: HC*2016   CA: CW2017   T: R, BP2018   AMATW, A: IW*





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are differences between this story and the MCU. I moved Tony's house to New York, which is probably the most noticeable difference. However, there are others. My reasoning behind some of the changes is two-fold. For some, it made it easier to tell the story. For others, I came to the conclusion that if the MCU truly were in an alternate reality, and the movies were stories about them, not everything would be the same. Things would have been changed in the movies to make them more palatable. This is all to say, if you notice things that don't match the movies, there is a reason for it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story. I really enjoyed writing it.

2019 

My eyes filled with tears as I walked back to my car. I had just left the movie theater after seeing _Avengers: Endgame_ and I couldn’t stop crying. The entire movie made me cry, from the beginning when Tony Stark made his goodbye tape in space, to the end at his funeral. Captain America’s end pissed me off to no end though. I’m sure that there are fans out there who loved Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers together, but not me. I mean, sure, if he hadn’t been frozen in time for almost seventy years, maybe they would have been together. But it happened, and you shouldn’t mess with the past.

Another thing, I couldn’t imagine Steve Rogers sitting around the dinner table knowing what would happen. The fact that his best friend became the Winter Soldier, that he got tortured by HYDRA and was made to do despicable things, yet he would just sit around and not change them. Unconscionable. He may have wanted a chance with Peggy, but I will never believe that he would have taken away her future. She fell in love, got married, had children. And he decided to be selfish and decided she didn’t get to have that. That he deserved her instead.

I had decided to not see the movie because I could see how it would end long before it came out in theaters. I also avoided seeing _Infinity War_ because I had seen spoilers and I hate depressing movies. But a guy at work told me that I needed to see them, that they were too good to miss, so I watched the entirety of the Marvel movies then came to see _Endgame_. Basically, I actually knew how _Endgame_ ended prior to watching it because of spoilers. Online, someone had theorized that he didn’t change anything because if he had tried, the past would have fought back. That the bad things still would have happened. But what doesn’t make sense to me, is that if the past fights back to get the same outcome, then why did he get to spend his whole life with Peggy? Wouldn't the past have tried to right that change?

Then there is the other thing that didn’t make sense to me. Steve Rogers supposedly has this extra special healing factor from being injected with the serum. Aging is a process by which your cells slowly die and decay over time. Wouldn’t the healing factor eliminate that? Shouldn’t he have looked younger at the end of the movie? I’m not an expert on superhuman abilities, but it seems to me that if he were truly enhanced with this serum that increased everything, made him stronger, faster, larger… AND gave him the healing factor, that he would live a lot longer than the average human. He wouldn’t look like a hundred-year-old man after that time. Not in my opinion anyway.

I know that there are those who agree with me and those who disagree. All I have to say is that I hated Captain America’s ending and I’m pretending it didn’t happen.

When I got to my car, I started to see sparks forming a circle. I looked around, trying to figure out what in the hell could possibly be happening. But the other people walking around me didn’t seem to notice the sparks. They looked familiar. Maybe it’s because I just saw _Endgame_ , but it looked an awful lot like the portals Dr. Strange uses to go to different places. But that couldn’t be it, because magic doesn’t exist. It’s a thing of fairy tales and movies.

The spark circle grew more solid and I started to be able to see through it to somewhere else. A person stood on the other side of the circle, shoved their hand through and pulled me toward them. Shocked, I just let them. When I got to the other side, we stood in a huge room with gothic architecture. I wanted to look around, but I just stared at the tall person in front of me.

His cape moved around on its own with no wind. As my jaw fell open, the man sighed, “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“Um, actually…” I took in his clothes, the goatee, and the cape. “You’re Dr. Strange, but you can’t exist. You’re a fictional character that’s just in movies. I must be dreaming.” I pinched myself in the arm, hard, “Ow.”

“Good, you do know who I am.” He started walking away, “Please, follow me.” I walked after him, not wanting to be left alone in a place I knew nothing about, “As for these movies you speak of, they are rather remarkably similar to what happened in our reality. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but obviously, someone had a way to see into the future, our future.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just made up.”

He stopped and turned to me, disgust obvious in his expression, “Made up? Made UP?” Strange threw his hands into the air and came closer to me, “What do you think this is then if it’s all made up?”

“A dream. A hallucination. I don’t know.” I took a step back, “But you can’t be real.”

Closing his eyes, Strange sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “For the sake of this conversation, let’s just pretend you believe me when I say that yes, I am truly Dr. Strange and you ARE in an alternate reality.”

“Goody, let's play pretend,” sarcasm practically dripped from my words.

“And to think, you were one of the two out of fourteen billion scenarios I saw that would stop Thanos.”

“Wait,” I held up my hand. My face scrunched up as I tried to believe him, “I thought there was only one scenario that would stop Thanos, and that is Tony dying.”

“I lied to him.” Strange shrugged, “I don’t do it often, but what could I say? Tony, if we go to an alternate reality and get this supremely ungrateful girl she will be the one to keep the Avengers together and destroy Thanos? The problem with that is simply that I cannot bring you to the moment in time when they learn about Thanos. I need to send you back much sooner.”

“Time travel? But that’s not…”

Frowning, he sighed yet again, “Please don’t say it’s not possible. We’ve already established that you are going to at least pretend to believe me.” I nodded and shut my mouth, “Good. You need to become integrated into their lives, become a part of the team. That is the only way this will work. In order to defeat Thanos, the team needs to be together. The fact that you know the future is the main reason you will defeat Thanos.”

“And how do I… do we stop Thanos?”

“I can’t tell you… exactly,” he had the good sense to look embarrassed. “That particular future knocked me unconscious because of the amount of information I received. I know that a pivotal part of this plan requires the defeat of HYDRA inside SHIELD, rescuing Bucky without splitting up the team, and you. In this future, I do know that he never gets all the stones, so he can’t snap and disappear anyone.”

“What about the stones that he does get? Those make him pretty powerful.” I crossed my arms over my chest, “I saw the destruction he wrought, the lives he destroyed. He killed his own daughter to get the soul stone. In order to get that one, you have to lose what you love most. If the whole point of this is to change the fact that so many people die, I’m not going to let one of them die to get it.”

“You don’t understand,” Strange sounded exasperated. “You don’t have to get the stones, you just have to keep Thanos from getting them.”

“That doesn’t help,” I said it in my most obnoxious voice, just like a teenager would to a parent. “All you’ve told me so far is that I need to make sure HYDRA falls and Bucky gets saved. I need more to go on. Please, Stephen, I need more than that to go on.”

“Two stones are on Earth right now.” He held up his necklace, “The time stone and the space stone.”

“Yes, the Tesseract.”

“Good, you know of it.”

“I’ve seen the movies. All recently.” I rolled my eyes, “I know a lot more than you probably realize.”

“Before we go any further, I need to know if you are willing to do this. I can always put you back into your own reality. The world has already been saved. Your job here would only be to save it sooner.”

My brain turned, thinking of what this could mean, “I'm curious about something. What exactly is the world like after Tony brought everyone back five years after they died? I mean, they came back to a world that had been destroyed. Cars crashed, planes crashed, the economy tanked. There is no way that the civilized world kept functioning when Thanos killed half the planet. Not right away, anyway. Then Tony brought them back, but instead of bringing back to the point when they left, he brought them back to his time. All because he didn’t want to lose his daughter.”

“Honestly, it was kind of in shambles. The people who didn’t die in the snap, but instead died because of the fact that someone else did, they didn’t come back. People were confused, they didn’t know how to react to this new world that had crumbled in the five years they were gone.” He ran a hand through his hair, “Tony died a hero, but this world has still lost so much. It’s been a couple of years since it happened, and the world is still reeling. Steve, Natasha, and Tony are all dead. Thor is off traveling the galaxy with Starlord. Bucky and Falcon teamed up, but it’s not the same without the original team.”

“What year is it?”

“2030.”

“Dude, that’s more than a couple of years.” I closed my eyes, “When are you sending me back to?”

“2010, right before Tony becomes Iron Man.”

“Do I really need to go that far back?” My eyes widened, “I mean, couldn’t you put me a little bit later, say 2011 when Captain America comes out of deep freeze?”

He sighed, “I need you to be a part of Tony’s world. That is the best way for you to become integrated into their team.”

“I’m not a superhero.” I held up my hands and did a pirouette, “I’m skinny and weak, I don’t have any enhanced abilities. Why in the hell would they make me part of the team?”

“Follow me.”

We walked deeper into the mansion. As we walked, I realized it looked very similar to the New York location in the movies. When we entered a room with several glass cases with artifacts inside, I knew we were there. “Is this the New York sanctum sanctorum? Is the portal to Kamar-Taj here too?”

“Yes and yes.” Strange stopped in front of a case and opened it, pulling out a ring. He held it up. The ring itself looked to be made of silver, or something similar, with several different stones set into the band. There were six stones in total. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

I gave him a look, “Seriously? The colors of the infinity stones?”

For the first time, Strange smiled and then laughed, “The original intent was not for that, but it is an interesting parallel. You are going to help stop that which should never have happened. It is only fitting that the ring which will grant you enough powers to impress the Avengers should have the same colors as the stones.”

He handed it to me and I took it, holding the silver ring between my fingers, “What exactly does this do?”

“I’m not sure,” he gave me an embarrassed shrug. “I don’t know what everything in this room does. My mentor died long before she could tell me everything. However, in my vision, you were wearing it. I believe that in time, you will figure out what it does.”

I slid the ring onto my right middle finger. Other than a tingling feeling that quickly dissipated, I didn’t feel any different. “So, you’re sending me back to 2010? Is this before he becomes Iron Man, or before he tells the world that he is Iron Man? Because I think it would be better if it is right after he comes back from Afghanistan. If I go up to him and tell him that I know he is Iron Man, he might take me seriously. Otherwise, I’m just a young girl in her mid-twenties with nothing else to offer.”

“Hmm,” he stroked his goatee. “I think you make a valid point. Alright, I’ll send you back to when he is back from Afghanistan, but Obadiah is still alive. At that point, he has not come out as Iron Man, but you need to act fast. It’s not like he ever keeps it a secret.”

“I can do that.”

“Oh, and try to remember that I don't know who you are. Not that me anyway. In order for me to become this,” he waved his hand over his body, “I can’t know of the future.”

“Copy, I won’t talk to you. At least not until you are,” I waved at him.

He smiled and waved his hands, opening another portal. This time, I could see many people milling about what looked like a press conference, “Go get ‘em.”


	2. Chapter 2

2010 

In my jeans and t-shirt, I knew I would stand out amongst all the people in suits. I backed up, trying to hide behind other people, not wanting anyone to notice me. Obadiah stood on the stage behind a podium. A voice said, “Would it be alright if everyone just sat down? You could just sit down. That way you can see me and I… it’s a little less formal that way.”

Everyone started sitting down on the hard floor. I stood there, shocked that it happened just like in the movie. Tony’s eyes met mine and he smiled when he saw my Star Wars shirt. His eyes drifted to the ground and back up again and I sunk to the ground with everyone else. He took a big bite of his hamburger, chewing it.

I saw Rhodey talking to Pepper and I smiled. Everything seemed so similar. Then my face fell because I knew what that meant. If everything truly happened the way it did in the movies, so many people die and have their hearts ripped out by what happens. So many bad things happen to each of the Avengers. I don’t know if Strange meant for me to change more than just Thanos, but I would do my damndest to fix things I thought were wrong.

“I never got to say goodbye to my father. There are questions I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what his company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts.” Tony wiped his face with a handkerchief, “Or maybe, he was every inch the man we remember from the newsreels.”

Tony took a deep breath. I wanted nothing more than to go on stage and give him a big hug. I couldn’t understand exactly what he went through, but I knew that he suffered from PTSD after being there. “I saw young American’s killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system with zero accountability.”

The reporters raised their hands, saying softly, “Mr. Stark.”

Tony pointed to one of them. He asked, “What happened over there?”

“I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing,” everyone started to stand up, trying to talk. He kept talking, but I couldn’t hear him over the crowd yelling at him with questions.

My heart ached because I knew how this story ended. But still, I clapped as loud as I could for him. Pepper looked over at me, a confused look on her face. When Obadiah basically pushed Tony off the stage, I hung in the back, hoping that I would get to see him.

He came over to Pepper, saying something to her. As he stood there, I walked over, hands in my pockets, “Mr. Stark? Tony?”

He turned to me. When his eyes raked me up and down, I flushed. I had never been attracted to Robert Downey Junior, but the way that Tony looked at me felt like something else entirely. He stopped on my shirt, “Jeans and a t-shirt, huh? I thought that press conferences like this deserved a better caliber of reporters.”

Tony started walking away. I had to yell, “I’m not a reporter, Tony. I know the truth.”

He stopped, whispered in Pepper’s ear and then continued on. Pepper stayed behind and came up to me, “Please, follow me.”

I did as she asked, holding on tightly to my purse. Happy stood there, glaring at me as he held the back door to the limo open. Ignoring him, I climbed in, sitting down on the back bench seat. Tony sat further forward. Once Pepper climbed in and sat across from Tony, he turned to me, “So, mystery woman who came dressed down to my press conference, who exactly are you?”

“My name is Brianna Mayfield,” I held the purse tighter to my chest.

“And what truth do you know exactly?” his eyes never left mine. He sounded calm, calmer than he should have been when someone tells you they know the truth.

I didn’t know what to tell him. How much to tell him. So I settled for something easy, “You told the kid in the Humvee next to you not to throw up gang signs when he flashed a peace sign for a picture with you.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, “How did you…”

I held up my hand, deciding to just go for broke. I would tell him things that had already happened, at least then he wouldn’t think I was just insane, “You have shrapnel near your heart. A doctor in Afghanistan, who was with the terrorists, attached a battery and magnet to your body so they wouldn’t move any closer. You were told to make a weapon, but instead, you made an arc reactor which you used to power a metal suit so you could escape.”

“How the fuck did you know that?” Tony growled at me, moving forward. He stopped only when the sling on his arm got in the way. “The only way you could know that is if you were there.”

“Tony,” Pepper said softly.

“Miss Potts, it’s okay.” Her head turned quickly to look at me. I realized that she hadn’t actually been introduced to me yet. I cursed myself internally, “I understand why Tony… Mr. Stark is concerned. He suffered through hell over there. Figuratively and literally. No one should ever have to go through what he did.” I twisted the rainbow ring on my finger, as I tried to come up with a plausible explanation, “I’ve seen things, Mr. Stark. That’s all. I swear to you that I am not a terrorist, I am not evil, and I am not out to get you. I just want to help.”

Tony leaned back, waving me on with his good hand, “Fine. Tell me something I don’t know then. Something that only you would know.”

“Obadiah is the one selling the weapons to the terrorists,” I said it as quickly as I could, not wanting them to interrupt me. I felt fairly certain that Dr. Strange wouldn’t have wanted me to do this, but if I could stop something, maybe it would be worth it.

Tony’s eyebrow rose and he laughed. “That’s a good one.” He looked over at Pepper, “She’s something else.”

“Yes, Tony,” Pepper’s tone mirrored how I felt, exasperated.

“I don’t expect you to believe me, Mr. Stark. Just…” I sighed, trying to figure out how to best say this. “Please, let me help.”

“Let me see your ID.”

Oh, fuck. It’s 2010, my ID says I was born in 1995. There is no way he’ll believe it’s real because I do not look fifteen. I opened my purse and saw that my wallet had disappeared. I laughed, tossing my purse over to him, “Sorry, Mr. Stark. I don’t have any proof as to who I am. And I don’t have a way home. I don’t even have a home here. So if you don’t want to believe me, if you don’t want my help, just let me out of the fucking car.”

Tony pulled out my cell phone, staring down at it. I had just purchased a new one, nine years newer technology than what happened to be on the market in his time. Tony looked between the phone and me before putting it into my purse and tossing it back. “Tell me your phone number,” I did as Pepper wrote it down. He knocked on the partition. When it opened, he said, “Stop wherever, we’re letting Brianna out.” When the car stopped, I scooted toward the door. As I opened it, he said, “Miss Mayfield, I believe that you think you are telling the truth. But Obadiah is a good man. He helped me figure out things after my parents died. I won’t do anything to hurt him.”

“Before I go, I just want you to know something else. Maybe when that happens, you’ll believe me. He’s going to oust you as head of Stark Industries.” Tony and Pepper’s eyes widened, “He’s going to blame it on the board of trustees, saying that you aren’t fit to run your own company anymore. That they don’t trust you.” My eyes softened as I looked at him, “Tony, you are a better man than anyone gives you credit for. I know you have an image as an asshole playboy, but you are truly more than that. You are a better man than that.”

I climbed out of the car and slammed the door. After the limo left, I groaned. What the fuck did I do now? I looked at the sky, “Alright, Strange, what now? How am I supposed to live in 2010 without identification, money, a job?”

An idea came to me, even if it seemed kind of dangerous. The sanctum sanctorum. I knew that Strange wouldn’t be there, not yet, but maybe they would still help me. Opening the map application on my phone, I put in the address, 177A Bleecker Street. For some reason, my phone appeared to be working. Maybe they have T-Mobile here in this reality as well.

The sanctum didn’t seem too far away from where Tony had kicked me to the curb, so I started walking. New York didn’t have the best reputation for being a safe city, but the only thing in my purse was a pack of chewing gum. Strange must have taken out anything that could potentially identify me as being from the future, not to mention a different reality. Why he left me my phone, I couldn’t answer. Perhaps he didn’t feel that to be an important detail.

When I got to the sanctum, I looked up at the huge building. The gothic architecture took my breath away. I took a picture with my phone, just in case I never got to see it again. Then I stuffed my phone into my pocket, not wanting the people inside to notice it.

I knocked on the door. No answer. Carefully, I turned the doorknob, surprised when it opened. I pushed the door open and took a step inside, calling out, “Hello? Anyone home?”

A portly Asian guy came running down the stairs, a panicked look on his face. I smiled when I recognized him from _Dr. Strange_. He held up his hands, moved them around until two orange circles with runes appeared before them, “Who are you? How did you get in?”

I pointed back to the door, “It was unlocked.”

“That door is never unlocked, only those who…” Wong stopped when he saw my hand. “How did you get that?”

“Fuck,” I said softly. “Look, I was just hoping you could help me out. But if you don’t want to,” I started backing away, moving toward the front door.

He twisted his hands and orange shot at me. I raised my right hand, palm out as I closed my eyes and waited for it to hit. When nothing happened, I opened them to see him staring at me, mouth wide open. “You shouldn’t be able to use that.”

He ran up the stairs and I followed him, pretty sure I knew what he ran toward. We entered the room with glass cases and he went to the one that Strange had opened. The ring still sat on display. Wong looked from me to the case, and back again. I sighed, “Wong, look, it’s a long story that I know you won’t believe because I barely believe it myself.”

“How do you know who I am?” he backed up from me, magic at the ready again.

I held the hand with the ring behind my back, “Look, Dr. Strange…” At his blank look, I groaned, “I’ve been sent here to fix things. I’m from the future, sort of.” He dropped his hands, magic dissipating, “I can’t tell you anything, because I don’t know what that will do to the timeline. I’m here to fix a very specific moment in time, but so far I’m fucking everything up.”

“Do you know what that ring does?” he sounded calm, but the way his eyes looked at me told me differently.

“No.” I shrugged, “The guy who gave it to me, he’s from 2030 and he didn’t know what it did. He just said that when he saw a vision of the future, I was wearing it.” Wong’s eyes widened, “Can you tell me what it does?”

“Well, I’m not sure that I should. Because if this guy sees the future, I’m guessing he has the eye of…”

“Agamotto. Yes, I know what that is.”

“And if he has the eye, then he saw millions of possible endings to whatever it is you are trying to change. If I tell you exactly what it can do, that could change too many things. Since he gave it to you with no instructions, it could be that you figuring things out for yourself is an important part of the story.” Wong gave me an apologetic look, “But I can tell you that it stopped my magic.”

“I kind of figured that out on my own,” I said it sarcastically.

He chuckled, “That’s the point I’m trying to make. You’re using it instinctively. If I were to explain how to use it, you might not be able to when you really need it.” Wong gave me a small smile, “Here, hold out your palm toward me again, this time keep your eyes open.” He twisted his hands, orange magic circling them, “Now, I am going to shoot this at you, just as I did downstairs. Your ring should protect you. If it doesn’t, well, it won’t kill you.”

Wong moved his hands and shoved the magic toward me. As I watched, a blue force field came out of my hand, blocking the magic from touching me. As the magic touched the blue, it disappeared as if it had never been there. I turned my palm to me, “Well, damn.”

“As I said, I’m not going to tell you everything that it does because that could alter things too much.” He gestured for me to follow him. We left the display room and ended up in a room that had multiple doors. The eye of Agamotto, on display in the middle of the room. “I don’t know how I can help you, because I cannot use this. Only the Ancient One can.”

“Please, don’t call her.” I held up my hands, “I really don’t want to piss her off.”

“I wasn’t going to,” he narrowed his eyes at me. “Why would you…” Shaking his head, he stopped, “No, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to change my future. How can I help?”

“I need identification. I’m not from…” Fuck, could I tell him? I sighed, “I’m not from this reality and Str… the guy took my wallet. I have no way of getting a job, paying for food, proving who I am…”

Wong laughed, “That’s easy.” He gestured for me to follow him again. We stopped in an office space and he wrote something down on a piece of paper, then opened the desk drawer pulling out a few things. The first thing he pulled out was a small pendant in the shape of the eye of Agamotto. It hung from a silver chain. He handed me both items, “Show this pendant to Crowley. He will know that it means you are a friend of ours.”

I clasped it around my neck and looked at the paper, “Thanks.”

He reached back in and pulled out a wad of cash, “This will cover the cost of the new identification, as well as give you enough to eat and find a place to stay. There aren’t that many places in New York that are nice enough, but there is a building not far from Stark tower where friends of ours get a discount.” He took the paper from me, writing that down as well, “The apartments are tiny, just a small room with a bathroom, but it’s livable. Just…”

“Show them the necklace,” I took the money gratefully and put it in my purse. Walking over to him, I pulled Wong into a tight hug, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” he sounded sad. “I’ve barely done anything. I wish I could do more, but the timeline…”

“No, don’t downplay what you’ve done.” I pulled back, “Without your help, I wouldn’t be able to find work and I would be sleeping in Central Park. You’ve done more for me than most people would, and all without knowing my name.”

“In that case, I probably shouldn’t tell you what I see when I look at you.”

I took a step back, looking down at myself, “You mean, other than someone dressed like a bum?”

Wong laughed, “I can see your chi, little one. It’s not as glamorous as being able to see the future, but I can tell you something about your connection to this world. But only if you want to know.”

“Would this alter the timeline too much?”

He shrugged, “I don’t think so. This guy that sent you here, he probably saw that we would meet and that I wouldn’t… no, couldn’t tell you about the ring. Otherwise, he would have known what it did. But I would be willing to bet that he knows about my ability and since he didn’t tell you to ignore me… But I won’t tell you if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No, please tell me,” my voice rose with excitement. “You’ve made me curious now.”

“I see two others intertwined with you. They are far away, but their chi is connected to yours.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Think of it like soulmates.” He laughed when I sighed, “It’s not exactly like soulmates, little one. Just kind of. You could just end up being really good friends with these two, or they could potentially be more. I’m sorry, but that’s all I know.”

“It’s okay, you’ve given me more than I expected. Thanks.”

When I turned to leave, he said, “Don’t expect your meeting with either of them to be easy. I sense strain in both of their chi’s. But you will know them when you meet them. That much I can tell you for certain. It will feel like… like coming home, if that makes any sense.”

“I think so.” I looked back at him, “Anything else?”

“Just… be yourself. They will respond to you as you truly are, not a facsimile that you think they will want.” He closed his eyes, “Be yourself with everyone. I promise you that will help more than anything else in your journey.”

“Thanks, Wong.”

“Anytime, little one. You know where to find me.”


	3. Chapter 3

2010

I trudged down the street, heading to the first address Wong gave me. According to my phone, both it and the apartment building were within a couple of blocks from each other, so I wouldn’t have far to walk after getting my identification.

When I got to the address, I laughed. A pawn shop. It was such a cliche, but still, I pushed open the door and wandered inside. The guy at the counter was helping another customer, so I looked around the store. I couldn’t find anything super interesting, at least until I saw something sitting on the shelf behind a bunch of cassettes.

A box, filled with random bits. There were a couple of Captain America cards, like the ones Caulson had, and some Army pins. I picked up the box, rummaging through it. When I saw a nametag with Rogers on it, I knew I had to get it.

I walked up to the counter. The guy looked at me and said in a distinctly British accent, “What?”

“Hi,” I placed the box on the counter. “Two things. First, how much for this?”

“That junk,” he looked at the box, then at me. “$20.”

I reached into the purse, took out a twenty and handed it to him. “Second thing,” I showed him the necklace. “Any chance I could talk to Crowley?”

“You’ve got him, love,” the gentleman smiled. I realized he looked suspiciously like the devil from _Supernatural._  But I didn’t want to know if he truly was the king of hell or not, so I just picked up the box and put it into my purse. Then I said, “I need identification. Also, I’m sure you won’t be able to, but if you could put me into the government's database as well…”

He scoffed, “Of course I can, love.” Crowley got up and locked the door, “Follow me.”

We went into a back room where he took my picture, then started getting to work on his computer. “What kind of information do you want online?”

“Well, my name would be good for starters.” I sighed, “Really, I need to be able to get a job. Back where I’m from, I have a degree in mathematics. Would you be able to put me into some schools database saying that I have a degree in math?”

“That’s easy.” He started typing more as my ID printed.

I sat there for about an hour, watching him type away. The identification had long since finished printing, but he would occasionally swear and I knew that putting me online was harder than he had originally stated. Finally, he looked up at me, “Do you want a copy of your new diploma?” I shrugged and he got up, putting some nicer paper in his printer. A few seconds later, he handed me an ID and a diploma. Then he winked, “So, you have a thing for Captain America?”

My face flushed, “What?”

He nodded toward my purse, “I’ve had that stuff sitting on my shelf for as long as I can remember. My dad owned this shop before me, my grandad before him. That stuff has been here since the 1950s. I’ve got a few other things that I can give you for not much more.”

“First, I need to pay you for the ID.” He quoted me a figure and I handed him the money. “Alright, what else do you have?”

Crowley walked over to a shelf and pulled down a bigger box, “You can have it all for another $20. But you shouldn’t open it until you get home.”

“What if you’re just giving me an empty box?”

He looked pointedly at my necklace, “First, I would never betray my ‘friends’ like that. Second, I just want to get rid of this stuff. That’s it. That’s all there is to the story.”

I stood and shook his hand before grabbing the box, “Thanks, Crowley.”

The box didn’t feel super heavy, so I felt fairly confident that there wasn’t much inside. However, I didn’t want to ruin whatever goodwill I had with the mysterious pawn shop owner by refusing to believe him. Instead, I left the shop and headed toward my second stop, the apartment complex.

As I got closer to the apartments, I could see Stark tower. It felt way more imposing in real life than it had in the movies. The apartment building Wong sent me to looked grungy and tiny. It sat in the shadow of Stark tower, quite literally. Everything around it stood at least three stories taller, so it would be in perpetual darkness. I couldn’t find it in me to care.

I entered the lobby and went to the landlord's door, knocking. The door opened and a little old lady answered the door, “If you’re selling girl scout cookies, I don’t want any.”

I leaned down and showed her my necklace, “I was told to come here. That you would have a room for me to rent.”

She grabbed a big ring of keys and shut her door, gesturing for me to follow her up the stairs. We went up six flights of stairs before reaching the top floor. She led me down a dark corridor to a room all the way at the end. Digging through the keys, she unlocked the door and then handed me the key, “This is all I have available.”

I looked inside and sighed. It couldn’t have been more than six feet wide, maybe fifteen feet long. Part of that fifteen feet was taken up by another small room which I assumed held the bathroom. I felt fairly confident that I could fit a king sized bed and nothing else at the end of the room, “How much?”

She told me the rate per month and I counted out the cash before handing it to her. I had just enough for two months rent, then I was left with about $100 for food. She harrumphed and left me alone. I just stood outside the door, looking inside the apartment. There was literally nothing inside except for a small refrigerator and a microwave. Just hardwood floors and blank walls. The apartment had a window, but it looked directly at another building. So all I saw looking out was brick.

The one nice thing the apartment had, a fire escape. If I ever had to make a speedy exit, I could climb out my window. Sitting on the floor, I took out the box of stuff from my purse and set it down next to the larger box from Crowley. First thing, I went through the smaller box, organizing stuff into piles.

In one pile I put all of the pins that went on his uniform. The captain bars, his nametag, and anything else that looked like it went on a military uniform. The second pile, I put the Captain America trading cards. The only other thing in that box was a fifty cent piece, dated 1918.

The bigger box I almost didn’t want to open. I admit that I was scared to see what it did, or did not, contain. I sat there, staring at it for several minutes. Finally, I opened it. The first thing I saw on top was an envelope. I put that off to the side. Underneath that, a coat that looked small enough to fit me. It wasn’t the height of fashion, but it looked warm and well made. It reminded me of a naval peacoat, but tan instead of blue.

Once the coat was out, I saw lots of paper. Newspaper articles, which I just pulled out and set in another pile, and another large envelope that I put with the smaller one. The last thing I found were two picture frames. The first one held a picture of a young Steve, pre-serum, standing with a young Bucky. The second picture was of the two of them again, this time from during the war. I couldn’t imagine who had owned these things, only to give them up to a pawn shop. If I had to guess, I would say it was a family member who couldn’t take that they were dead and gone. They wouldn’t have known that the boys were still alive, albeit, in cold storage.

I leaned against the wall and sighed. I had identification and a place to stay, but I still had no food, nor any furniture. I turned my attention to the two envelopes. Picking up the larger one, I opened it. Inside, I found one piece of paper. It had First National Bank across the top and the words bearer bond emblazoned on it. It claimed that it was worth $10. But the date on it was from 1941. The same year Steve Rogers became Captain America and did the USO circuits to sell them. There wasn’t a name on the bond, so I guess I was just going to have to go to the bank and see if I could cash it.

Since I knew that New York got chilly at night, especially in the springtime, I put on the coat. Sticking my hand inside, I felt a lump and pulled it out. A men’s wallet. I opened it up. The only thing inside the wallet was an old ID for Steve, back before he got the serum, and another picture of him and Bucky together. I took my new ID, added it to the wallet and put the cash in it as well before putting it into my purse.

The bank wasn’t far from the apartment building, only about two blocks away. So I put my hands into the coat to protect against the chill and hurried to get there before it closed. When I entered the bank, I cringed. I felt extremely out of place in my jeans and t-shirt. At least the jacket covered up Darth Vader so no one else could see him. This bank was definitely not meant for someone like me.

As I stood there, a well-dressed man came up to me, “Hello, miss. Can I help you?”

“Um, I don’t know. I was going through my…” I paused, not sure what to say. I thought up a lie on the spot, “I was going through my grandpa’s things and I found an old bearer bond issued by your bank from 1941.”

The man’s eyes lit up, “Really?” He sounded surprised, “Come, please. Let me take you over to my desk and see if I can help you.” He led me to an office and had me sit opposite him. “Can I see it?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to determine if he was lying to me or not. I didn’t feel any deceit coming from him, so I took it out of my purse and gave it over. I tried to sell the lie a little better, “My grandpa Steve, he died in the war. My… uncle just gave me a box of his things. I know it only says $10 so I’m not expecting it to be worth much, but I figured I would come and check.”

“Do you have proof of ownership?” I shook my head. “What are your grandfather's full name and birthdate?” He turned to his computer, poised to type in what I told him.

“Steven, with a V, Grant Rogers. He was born on July 4th, 1918.” My leg started to bounce up and down with my nerves. Then I remembered my wallet, “I have his old ID if you want to see that.”

“No, that’s alright. You got the information correct on the person who purchased the bond.” He smiled at me, “I will need to see your identification though, just for paperwork purposes.” I handed it to him and he typed in the information. My fingers were crossed that Crowley didn’t screw me, “Now, do you want to open an account with this money, or…?”

“I mean, it’s $10, what exactly would I need an account for?”

The man laughed, throwing his head back. When he saw my look of confusion, he quickly sobered, “You really don’t know, do you? Each of these bonds reached maturity many years ago. Today, each of the bonds is worth about $8,000.”

My mouth fell open, “Seriously?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Can I take some of that in cash and open an account with you guys?”

“Of course,” he smiled again.

It took about thirty minutes to get my new account set up, as well as giving them my address for my new debit card, but getting approval for them to pay me for the bond took longer. He had to get approval from the bank manager first. Which then required the bank manager to see the bond, because he couldn’t believe that they all hadn’t been cashed.

Finally, ten minutes after they closed at 5 PM, I walked out of there with a new account that held $7,231.46 and $1,200 in cash added to my wallet. I decided to see if I could find a place to get some furniture. After looking on my phone, I found a sketchy place that stayed open until 6 PM.

I went inside and started looking around. One of the employees saw me looking and pointed me out to another. They both came up to me. I had to fight back a shiver when they looked me up and down. The first one licked his lips and spoke with a Russian, “Hello, little lady. Can I help?”

“I, uh, just need a couple of things for my new apartment.” I tried to sound braver than I felt, “A bed, maybe a table. And, uh, is there any way it can be delivered tonight?”

“Well, little lady, we can deliver fast, but charge extra. Da?”

I sighed, “Sure. Let’s pick out what I want.”

I ended up getting a king size platform bed with drawers at the foot of the frame for me to store stuff in, as well as a mattress and a small round table with two chairs. With the ‘delivery’ charge, the total came out to $950. I paid the man and he told me that he and his brother would be there in one hour to deliver it.

I made two stops on the way back to my apartment. My first stop was a thrift store. I purchased a rolling suitcase, several shirts, pants, some nicer clothes for an office job if I got one, a pair of black heels, and a hot plate that I hoped worked. On my way out, I grabbed some plates, bowls, cups, silverware, and a pan to use on the hot plate. After paying, I realized that I needed sheets and blankets, so I grabbed those as well.

After stopping at the grocery store and getting some food, I only had $40 left in my wallet. But at least I had furniture being delivered.

Back at the apartment building, I groaned when I realized I would have to carry everything up the stairs to my new apartment. But when I lifted the suitcase, it felt like it weighed nothing. I put it back down, looked inside, and saw all the items I purchased. When I picked it up again, it still felt empty. I glanced at the ring, assuming it was at fault for my new strength.

Once upstairs, I put all of my stuff into one corner, packed up all of Steve’s old stuff, then waited for the delivery guys to come. They showed up exactly when they said they would. I opened the door and watched as they brought everything in and set it up for me.

I was right. The end of my apartment now held the king sized bed which touched either wall on the sides of it. The table and chairs got put closer to the fridge. The brothers leered at me when they finished. I took out the $40 and gave them each $20, “Thanks for bringing this stuff by. It was really nice of you.”

The one brother brought his hand up and stroked down my cheek, “Little lady, we come not for money.” He reached as if to grab me and I moved faster than I thought possible, grasping his wrist tightly in my hand. He groaned at the pain, “Sorry, sorry. We leave now.”

I released him and the brothers ran out of my apartment. I made sure to lock the door behind them. After locking the door, I began to shake. In my 25 years of life in my reality, I had never experienced anything like that. As I tried to calm down, I made the bed, then put the clothes in the drawers of the bed frame. The pictures of Steve and Bucky went onto the window sill and then I stripped off my clothes, climbing under the covers. I was just going to have to start trying to figure out what to do tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, I woke up forgetting where I was for a moment. My new bed felt almost as comfortable as the one from my reality, so I opened my eyes expecting to see my bedroom. When I only saw a dark tiny room, I closed my eyes again. Everything came rushing back and I sighed.

Climbing out of the bed, I got out a pair of slacks and a nice shirt, putting them on. On top of that, I added Steve’s old jacket and grabbed my purse. The only idea I could think of was to go to Stark Tower and try to talk to Tony again. Maybe I could get a job there. I had enough money from the sale of Steve’ bearer bond that I wouldn’t starve, but I still needed to become a more self-sufficient person. Especially if I were supposed to last until at least 2019 when Thanos does his first snap.

On the way to the tower, I stopped at a street vendor and got a breakfast burrito and a coffee. Basically, I had almost no money left. I had spent it on things I didn’t really need. Things that made me more comfortable, yes. But did I really need a bed frame and a table with chairs, no I did not.

I made it to Stark Tower at around 11 AM. When I walked in, I saw a large desk in front of the elevators. Taking a surreptitious glance around, I managed to pick out four security guards. I’m guessing there were more, but I just held my head up high and walked to the front desk.

A young woman sat there. She smiled at me and spoke high and happily, “Good morning, how can I help you?”

I slapped a fake smile on, “Is there any way I can talk to Mr. Stark today?”

She looked down at her computer, “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I was just hoping that he might have some free time.” I leaned forward and lowered my voice, “If it helps, you can tell him this is in reference to his father and that my name is Brianna Mayfield.”

Her head snapped up to me, eyes wide. She dialed her phone and turned away from me, but I could still hear what she said, “Miss Potts, I have a Brianna Mayfield to see Mr. Stark… She seems to be put together, well-dressed… I don’t know, Miss Potts… I can ask her… She said it was in regards to his father… Do you really want me to send her up? Right away, Miss Potts.”

As she hung up the phone, she reached down and grabbed a visitors badge that I attached to my jacket, “Swipe that in the second elevator on the right, fifty-third floor. The entire floor is just Mr. Stark. Miss Potts said she would meet you.”

“Thank you.”

I got on the elevator and went upstairs. I started twisting the rainbow ring around on my finger again, a nervous habit that I got angry at myself for developing. I knew for certain that Pepper thought I was lying. The thing is, I was both lying and telling the truth. I wanted to talk to Tony again, and I needed to tell him that the arc reactor could potentially kill him through poisoning. That would lead to talk of his father, and the new element he created in the city diorama. That’s if I could get him to listen to me this time.

When I stepped off the elevator, Pepper was waiting for me, a stern expression on her face, “Miss Mayfield, I hope you aren’t here to fill Mr. Stark’s head with nonsense today.”

“Miss Potts, I assure you that I have no plans to do that.” I ran a hand through my hair, “My only goal for being here is to stop something horrible from happening. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. I just want to help.”

She sighed, “Come on.”

I followed her down a hallway and into an office. Tony sat there with his back to the door, “Thank you, Miss Potts. I’ve got it from here.”

Pepper left and closed the door behind her. I stood by the door, not sure what to do. Tony spun around and stood, walking over to me, “Can I take your coat?” I shrugged it off and gave it to him. He tossed it over the back of a chair and then went to the couch, sitting down. He gestured for me to join him.

I sat down at the other end of the couch, keeping a respectable distance between us. “Mr. Stark…”

“Please, call me Tony.” He smiled, a glint of something in his eye, “All my friends call me Tony.”

“We aren’t friends, Mr. Stark. Not yet at least.” When he moved a bit closer to me, I frowned, “Mr. Stark… Tony, I need you to listen to me. Obadiah…”

“He’s going to try and oust me, you’ve already told me that.” He laughed, “As soon as that happens, I will admit I was wrong. But until that moment, I’m not going to believe you.”

“The arc reactor in your chest,” his eyes narrowed at me but I continued on, “it’s poisoning you. I know you probably don’t realize it yet, but the material you use to power it, every time it burns out it’s because it’s leeching poison into your body.”

“Go on,” he looked at me calmly. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or had simply decided to let me finish.

“SHIELD is going to tell you they can help you. Of course, this won’t be for a while. After you’ve proven yourself as Iron Man. The suit is awesome by the way.”

Tony’s eyes widened and he stood. He paced back and forth, “How do you know about the suit?”

“The same way I know everything else, Tony.” I sighed, “Look, I know you won’t believe me until things happen. And that’s fine. But here is what I need you to do. Then you can decide if you want to talk to me again.” I stood and walked over to the chair with my coat, picking it up, “Your father created a diorama of a futuristic city. He told you how important it was. And it is, Tony. It is more important than you realize right now. If you play around with it and JARVIS, you will find out that the way everything is aligned will lead to a new element. That element will be able to power your arc reactor so you stop poisoning yourself.”

“What now?”

“Just find the diorama and upload it to your holographic matrix. I’m not even going to pretend to understand how your technology works, I do calculus, not engineering. But I know that you find out it’s a new element and that it can be used for powering your suit. Of course, this is after Obadiah betrays you, so maybe you should put off on finding it, at least for now.” I put on the jacket, “One more thing, Obadiah is going to steal the arc reactor from your chest. You’ll make it down to get the thing Pepper made for you, but it will almost be too late. Please don’t let him get a reactor with the new element. That would be worse than anything else I could possibly imagine.”

I turned and walked to the elevator. Tony called out to me, “Where will you be?”

“I’m in a shitty little apartment a couple of blocks from here. Call when you’re ready to talk.” I stopped the elevator doors from closing, “Next year, I’m going to need your help, Tony. Captain America, the project your father worked on, they are going to find him alive and frozen. They are going to thaw him and do who knows what. I am going to need your help to find him and get him out of the clutches of SHIELD, at least until after I talk to him.”

“Steve Rogers is dead.”

“No, he’s not,” I let the doors slide shut and leaned against the back wall. That had gone better than expected. At least I had left on my own terms. As the elevator descended, I realized I hadn’t even thought to ask for a job. Well, maybe he would call me later to tell me that he believed me. Ha, like that would happen.

When I made it down to the ground floor, a security guard stopped me, “Ma’am, I need you to come with me, please.”

“Umm, I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” I couldn’t keep the tremor from my voice. I knew that Tony couldn’t have sent them to take me. He would just have the girl at the front desk stop me when I gave her the temporary pass back.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m not privy to that information.”

He grabbed my elbow lightly and steered me back into the elevator. This time, we went up to the twenty-sixth floor. My entire body shook by the time he led me into an office. When I saw Obadiah Stane sitting behind the desk, I nearly fell over in shock. He gestured for me to sit at the chair in front of him.

I did as he commanded, unsure why he wanted to talk to me. When I sat, I held onto my purse for dear life. There wasn’t much in it, but the ID I had for Steve Rogers would surely give away something to this man. Obadiah smiled, an evil smile that reminded me of a shark, “I’ve seen you twice now in as many days. Why are you chasing after Tony?”

I couldn’t tell him the truth. Gulping, I spun the ring around on my finger as I tried to come up with a plausible lie, “Have you seen him? He’s absolutely scrumptious. I’ve been trying to get him to fuck my brains out.”

Obadiah looked offended at my use of language. Good, if he thought about my cursing, he wouldn’t be thinking about why I kept visiting Tony, “And that takes a trip in Tony’s personal limo?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I stilled my fingers and took a deep breath. Forcing a huge smile on my face, “Well, I’ve always had a thing about fucking in a limo. But Mr. Stark didn’t quite feel up to it, not with Miss Potts there. I came back today to see if he wanted to do it in his office.” I twirled a lock of hair around my finger, trying to look as brain dead as possible, “I’ve heard that Tony can make a girl come, like, three times during sex. Who wouldn’t want to try that out.”

Obadiah closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He gestured and the guard came over, trying to take my purse, “Hey, stop.”

“He needs your identification. You can either hand it over willingly, or he will take it by force.”

“Sheesh, why didn’t you just say so?” I opened the purse and brought out the wallet. Steve’s wallet was made of leather, and since it’s from the 1930s, it’s had a lot of time to develop a rich patina. I just hoped that neither of them noticed. I took out my ID and handed it to the guard, “There. Next time, try asking a girl. That will get you much further in life.”

The guard kept it for a couple of minutes, then handed it back. Obadiah waved his hand, “You can go now, Miss Mayfield. But I don’t want to see you back here.”

“Sure thing, whatever you say,” when I got into the elevator I started to shake visibly. The guard hadn’t come back down with me, so I didn’t even try to hide it.

At the ground floor, I tossed the badge on the desk and raced out of the building. Once I came in contact with fresh air, I felt myself calm down slightly. To try and take my mind off things, I went to the bank and took out more cash. Enough to cover me for a few days as well as repay Wong. I also asked for an envelope to put the money into for him. Then I headed back to the sanctum to give it to him.

When I got there, Wong again raced down the stairs, at least until he saw me. “You came back,” his grin felt genuine. “The Ancient One has been asking about you. But I didn’t know enough to tell her anything. She finds your time travel thing to be fascinating.”

I took the envelope out of my purse, “Thanks for the loan.”

He took it from me and looked inside. When his eyes met mine, he seemed surprised, “I thought you didn’t have any way to take care of yourself.”

“I didn’t.” I decided to just tell him the truth, “I bought a couple of things at Crowley’s. One of the boxes I got had a bearer bond in it worth $8,000. I just wanted to repay you. I don’t like being indebted to anyone.” I reached up and took off the necklace, “Here’s this back too.”

“No, the necklace is yours to keep. You never know when it might come in handy,” he put the envelope into a pocket on his robe. “But I’ll take the money. This way, I can help someone else who needs it easier.”

I reached into my purse, taking out the wallet. I pulled out the photo of Steve and Bucky, showing it to Wong, “I know you don’t want to know the future. But I just wanted you to know why I decided to help. These two men are the main reason. I mean, I want to stop the horrible thing from happening, of course. But these two men, they deserve so much better than the shit they are handed. I just wish I could fix everything for them.”

Wong took the picture and looked between it and me, several times. “These men, do you know them?”

“I haven’t actually met them yet.”

“Do you remember what I told you?”

“Something about my two soulmates that weren’t really soulmates and to be myself with everyone I meet?”

He nodded and smiled, “Yes. Just remember to be yourself. Do what you think is right for the situation.” He handed me the picture back and I stuck it into the wallet, “Remember, I can’t see the future, just your chi. And I can tell that you are meant for great things. But at the same time, being false to yourself can make things not turn out the way you have planned.”

“You sound like a fortune cookie.”

Wong chuckled, “Sometimes, I feel like one. Just remember to trust your gut and you won’t go wrong.”

“Thanks.”


	5. Chapter 5

2010 

When I woke this time, I knew exactly where I was. The thought of being in an alternate reality no longer freaked me out. Well, not too much anyway. I knew that I couldn’t help if Tony didn’t listen to me. In no way did I have the resources to do the things I needed in order to stop Thanos.

My phone rang and I answered, “Hello?”

“Ahh, Miss Mayfield,” Tony’s voice sounded both jovial and strained. “Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, I had just woken up right before you called.” I looked at the time, “I should have been up a couple of hours ago, but I don’t have a job so…”

“I need to see you.”

“Um, excuse me?”

“I need to see you.” He sighed, “I don’t know how secure this line is. Where are you?”

I rattled off my address, “It’s a shitty little apartment, Tony. Are you sure you don’t want to meet somewhere else?”

“No, I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He hung up and I stared at the phone.

Moving quickly, I made the bed and then took a shower before tossing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. As soon as the shirt slipped over my head, I heard a knock on my door. “Coming,” I yelled. I ran to the door and opened it, gesturing Tony to come in, “Welcome to my humble abode.”

He looked around, “It’s a little small. Smaller than my closet in fact.”

“Well, unless you are going to let me live in your closet, it’s all I can afford.” I glared at him with my arms crossed over my chest, “Try to remember, I don’t have a job. And until two days ago, I didn’t have a place to live either.”

He sat down on the edge of my bed, bouncing up and down a few times. Then he patted the space next to him for me to sit. I took a dining chair instead. He grinned, “Brianna, may I call you Brianna?” I nodded, “Good. Last night I attended a charity gala event where a reporter told me that Stark weapons were being sold to terrorists. That same night, Obadiah told me that I was being ousted as CEO of Stark Industries.”

“I hate to say I told you so, but…”

“You also knew I wouldn’t believe you without proof.” He still grinned, “Pepper is sneaking into the office as we speak to download as much information as she can. Hopefully, we can get some dirt on Obadiah. So, what else can you tell me?”

“First, you need to know something. I’m not a magic eight ball. I don’t know absolutely everything that is going to happen. Only the snippets that I’ve seen.” I stared at him until he nodded, “What that also means is that I don’t know exactly when things will happen, just that they will and what year they happen. Which I understand is not necessarily that helpful.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Obadiah is going to get your suit from the terrorists,” I said. Tony looked confused, “The one that you crashed in the desert. Not your Iron Man suit. Which you’re going to need to use soon, to save the people in the village that the terrorists are going to attack.”

“Don’t worry, I’m leaving in a few hours for that,” he said as he checked the time on his phone. “Anything else?”

“I don’t know how much I should tell you, Tony. Certain things need to happen in order to make other things happen.” I sighed. I knew that I didn’t want Obadiah to hurt anyone, but from what I could remember, no one really died in  _ Iron Man _ , only Obadiah. “He is a bad dude, Tony. Just rest easy in the knowledge that you will defeat him.”

He nodded, “Alright. I’m still not sure that I can fully trust you, not yet. But if you say we’ll win, I’ll believe you for now.” One of his perfect eyebrows raised, “Now about this diorama… I couldn’t find it anywhere. I know which one you’re talking about. It’s in several of my father’s old recordings. But records have it being destroyed years ago.”

“Fuck,” I covered my eyes with a hand and groaned. “But that can’t be right. I specifically remember you looking at the diorama using JARVIS and holographic technology.” A thought occurred to me, “Fuck, that happens in 2011. Maybe you can’t find it because it’s not meant for you to find until then.”

“Maybe.” His gaze narrowed, “Or maybe you’re making things up. I feel fine. Not sick at all. My arc reactor is also working fantastically.”

“Just…” I tried to come up with what to say. “It won’t last forever, Tony. You’re going to get sick, very sick. Without the diorama, you could die.”

“We all die someday, kid,” he stood and came over to me, patting my shoulder. “Alright, I’m off to rescue a small Afghanistan village.”

Before he opened the door, I said, “When the F-22s are flying around the sky, shooting missiles at you… Call Rhodey and let him know that it’s you in the suit. All they’re going to see is something small flying around fast and maneuvering like crazy. They aren’t going to know that you’re Iron Man.”

“Shit, I don’t even call myself Iron Man.” He grimaced, “What kind of name is that, anyway?”

“The press gives it to you.” I grinned, “Don’t worry. You’ll like it eventually.”

It took about a week and there was another knock on my door. I answered it, a blanket wrapped around me. Tony stood there, a huge smile on his face, “You’re not dressed. Come on, chop chop, you’re going to make us late.”

I yawned, “Late for what?”

“The press conference I called.” I just raised my eyebrows at him, “Didn’t you see the news? The industrial arc reactor exploded at Stark Industries last night. Obadiah died in a pretty spectacular blaze, although that part isn't on the news.” He pulled the blanket off me, exposing the fact that I was naked. His eyes raked up and down my body, but he stayed at a respectful distance from me, “Quick, get dressed.”

I put on some underwear and then pulled out a dress, which I also put on. Grabbing the jacket and my purse, Tony grabbed my arm and pulled me out of my apartment and downstairs.

Once we were in the car, he said, “You were right. Obadiah took the arc reactor from my chest. I nearly died.” He frowned, “He was like a father to me. More than my father ever was. And he did this to me.”

I reached out and grabbed his hand, “Tony…”

“No, Bri, it’s not your fault.”

“It’s Brianna.”

He laughed, and I was glad to see a smile back on his face, “Too bad, Bri. That’s what you get for being my friend, a nickname you hate.”

“I don’t hate it,” I said unconvincingly. “I just prefer my full name.” Tony just widened his eyes and pursed his lips until I laughed, “Fine, call me whatever you want.” I waggled my finger, “But I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said as he put his hands in the air.

When the car stopped, he helped me out. Slipping my arm through his, he walked me to a back room where Pepper and Agent Coulson were waiting. Pepper glared, “Tony, you were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago.” She looked at me, “What is Miss Mayfield doing here?”

“Bri is here because she was right, about everything,” Tony sat down and picked up a paper. The front page said ‘Who is the Iron Man?’ He chuckled, “Iron Man, that’s kinda catchy. Has a nice ring to it. I like it.” He winked at me, “Not entirely accurate. The coating is gold titanium alloy, but the imagery is evocative.”

Coulson looked at me, “Who exactly are you?”

Tony answered before I could, “She’s my new personal assistant.”

“Tony,” Pepper’s voice was low and dangerous.

“I’m not replacing you, Pepper, don’t worry. Bri is just going to… help me with some home projects. She has a degree in math from Stanford you know.”

Fuck. I knew I shouldn’t have let Crowley pick the college. Coulson just stared at me before turning back to Tony and handed him some cards, “Here’s your alibi. You were on your yacht. We have port papers and sworn statements from fifty of your guests.”

“See, I was thinking that we should just say it was Pepper and me, alone,” my heart swelled. They seriously were the cutest couple in the Marvel universe. She gave him a small smile, then continued putting makeup on his nose to cover the bruise.

Coulson was having none of it, “That’s what happened. Just read it word for word.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. All three of them looked at me and I held up my hands, “I’m not going to spoil it for you, don’t worry.”

“Seriously, who are you?” Coulson asked.

My face grew serious and I took a couple of steps closer to him. When I was inches from his face, I said softly, “Next year, there is going to be a hammer that falls from the sky and lands in the desert. No one is going to be able to lift it. Don’t be an asshole. That’s the advice I’m giving you.”

“What?”

Tony stood and pulled me away from Coulson, “Ex-nay on the uth-tray.” I raised my eyebrow and he whispered into my ear, “You can’t tell everyone you meet the truth. Most won’t believe it. People like him will lock you up for it. Trust me.”

I nodded, “Sorry, I forgot for a second.”

Pepper walked Coulson to the door and picked up Tony’s jacket, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“See, it’s not that bad. Even I don’t think I’m Iron Man.”

“You’re not Iron Man,” she said, slipping his jacket on.

“You know, if I were Iron Man, I would have this girlfriend who knew my true identity. She’d be a wreck. She’d always be worrying about me, thinking I was going to die. And be sort of proud of the man I’d become. Tell me you never think about that night?”

“What night?”

“You know?”

I took a step back, not wanting to interrupt their moment. Pepper looked into Tony’s eyes, “Are you talking about the night that we danced and went up on the roof, and then you went downstairs to get me a drink and left me there by myself? Is that the night you’re talking about?”

Somehow, I had remembered that scene a little differently. I walked over and touched Tony’s back, “I think you should probably get out there. The press is going to want to hear from you.”

All three of us walked out. I stood off the side with Pepper while Rhodey said, “And now, Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions. Thank you.”

Rhodey moved out of the way and Tony moved behind the podium. He pulled out the cards the Coulson gave him, “Uh, it’s been a while since I was in front of you. I figured I’d stick to the cards this time.” The press laughed, “There’s been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop…”

A hand raised and a woman said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. But do you honestly expect us to believe that was a bodyguard in a suit? That conveniently appeared, despite the fact that…”

Tony started speaking over her, “I know that it’s confusing. It is one thing to question the official story and another thing entirely to make wild accusations or insinuate that I’m a superhero.”

“I never said you’re a superhero,” the reporter said, her tone sassy.

“You didn’t? Well good. Because that would be outlandish and, uh, fantastic.” He sighed and looked down at the cards. If I remember correctly, now was when he went off script from what Coulson had given him, “I’m just not the hero type. Clearly, with this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I’ve made, largely public…”

Rhodey leaned over and whispered something to him. Tony picked up the cards one more time, “The truth is…” He paused, “I am Iron Man.”

The press went wild and I started to laugh. Everyone was shouting questions at him, but he just smiled and waved, then came toward us. Pepper looked ready to shoot somebody, but he just grabbed us both and moved quickly back to the office we had come from. Once the door was shut, I turned to him, “That was even better than I saw before. Damn, I’m so glad you did that. Screw what SHIELD wants. They have problems of their own, anyway.”

Tony and Pepper turned to me, identical expressions of disbelief on their faces. Pepper spoke first, “How did you know about SHIELD?”

“Um,” I looked at Tony. “You didn’t tell her anything, did you?” He shook his head and I sighed, “Fucking hell. I’m not explaining everything. First, you won’t believe me. Second, it’s crazy. Third, well… I don’t even know how to explain it to you in a way that you would understand. I barely understand it.”

“She sees things, Pepper,” Tony said nonchalantly.

“So, you’re a psychic?”

I grimaced, “Sure. Let’s call me that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Tony placed a hand on Pepper’s back, rubbing circles trying to calm her down. “All that matters is that everything is fine. We won the battle.”

Pepper still looked at me, “You said you were only here to stop something horrible from happening.”

“Bri?” Tony’s voice held all the questions he didn’t voice.

“I can’t tell you,” I pleaded with them. “Not yet. Please don’t make me.” I could feel myself starting to tear up, “I just… it’s horrible. You’ll find out eventually, but I need more of you here in order to tell the story.”

“How long do we have?” Tony’s voice remained calm. I had begun to realize he used the calm voice as a mask to hide his true anxiety, “How long until this horrible thing happens?”

“A little under eight years,” I said it quietly.

“We have time then.” He forced a smile, “Come on, let’s celebrate me leaving the metaphorical closet.”

We headed back to his house. I tried to get him to take me home, but he wouldn’t hear of it. As he went to get us drinks, I headed out onto the patio. His house sat atop a cliff, waves hitting the rocks below.

Pepper came out, leaning against the railing next to me, “He’s a good guy, deep down.” I turned to look at her. She had a serious expression on her face, “You really can’t go wrong if you want to…”

I held up my hand, stopping her from finishing that sentence. Looking back, I made sure Tony wasn’t within earshot, “He is a good guy. Not just deep down. He’s a hero, now and in the future. He…” I stopped, not wanting to cry. Or to tell her what would happen, “He really likes you, Miss Potts. You should give him a chance. I’ve got my eye on another guy.” I pulled the picture of Steve and Bucky out of my wallet, showing her.

“Well, he’s gorgeous, whoever he is.” I knew she meant Bucky because Steve was pre-serum in the picture. No one had ever given him a second look when he was skinny and short. I honestly think that it's your character that makes you attractive, not just the outside coating. I would be proud to call pre-serum Steve mine.

I smiled softly, putting the picture away, “They’re both pretty awesome guys. I hope that you get to meet them one day. I would be willing to bet that you would get along extremely well with them.”

Tony came back out with drinks, “Come on ladies, this is a celebration.” He handed us each a drink, “To me. To Iron Man. To the two beautiful women that have graced me with their presence tonight.”

I felt my face flush and I downed the drink, coughing slightly. The whiskey was smooth and expensive, I just have a low tolerance for hard liquor, “I’m glad to have met you, Tony.”

We drank and laughed for the next few hours. Tony and Pepper took turns telling stories. By the end of the night, my stomach hurt from laughing so hard and for so long. Pepper led me to a guest room, giving me one of Tony’s old t-shirts to sleep in.

After a few hours of tossing and turning, I decided to get some water from the kitchen. On my way out, I heard voices. Creeping forward, I heard Fury’s deep voice, “I want to talk to you about the Avenger initiative.”

Tony laughed, “The what now?”

“You're not the only superhero in the world, Mr. Stark. You’ve entered a world much bigger than the tiny bubble you put yourself in.” I took a deep breath in and Fury stopped, looking over to where I stood. I held my breath, knowing he couldn’t see me from behind the wall. He continued, “The Avenger initiative is a team of superheroes that we can call on when the world is in trouble. The kind of trouble that most normal people can’t handle. That’s when you would come in.”

“No offense, but I work alone.”

“I understand, Mr. Stark, I do.” I could hear Fury moving closer, “But you don’t have the luxury of burying your head in the sand forever. Here’s my card if you decide to change your mind.” His footsteps continued, then I heard the front door shut.

After a couple of minutes, Tony said, “You can come out now.”

I wandered into the living room, pulling down on the shirt to try and cover more of my legs, “Sorry for…”

“Don’t apologize,” he waved his hand at me. Giving me the card, he smiled, “Take that. Maybe you can use it when it comes time to figure out what we need to do to stop the horrible thing.”

Taking a chance, I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist. It took him a minute, but his arms wrapped around me as well, “You give good hugs, Tony.” My next thought was of him hugging Peter at the end of _Endgame_ and I felt myself start to tear up. I pulled away and yawned to cover my sadness, “I’m going to try and sleep. I would suggest that you do the same.” Then I left the room quickly, not wanting him to see me cry.


	6. Chapter 6

2010 

A knock at the door woke me up. Tony called through it, “Come on, sleeping beauty. Rise and shine.”

I pulled the blanket over my head, “Fuck you, Tony. You let me drink last night, this is the consequence of your decision.”

He opened the door and came in. Pulling the blanket back, he held a glass of water and some aspirin, “Take these. Then come on, I want to show you my lab.”

Drinking the water, I swallowed the pills, “I’m not walking around your house wearing nothing but a t-shirt.”

Crossing his hands over his chest, he gave me a comical glare, “I don’t care, Pepper doesn’t care, and we’ve already established I’m not sleeping with you.”

“No, you won’t. Because you are in love with Pepper.”

“How… But… What…” he sputtered.

“I see things. Try to remember,” I stood and walked to the door. “Coming, Tony?”

When I looked back, his eyes were on my legs. He glanced back up, sheepish, “You never said I couldn’t look. You are gorgeous, after all.”

We made it to the lab and I stood at the door in stunned silence. The movies had absolutely nothing on the beauty of his workspace. The floorspace could have fit several cars in it, and have room to work. A large table with what looked like a computer screen embedded on the top dominated the room. Equipment was scattered everywhere, with an Iron Man suit on a stand in the corner.

Tony grinned, “What do you think?”

“It’s fucking awesome, that’s what I think.”

He pulled out a chair for me to sit. I did and spun around, lifting my feet into the air, “Whee.”

Tony laughed and sat in another chair, “I brought you down here because Pepper doesn’t come down normally. Not unless she needs me.” His face turned serious, “I want to talk to you about Fury and the Avengers initiative.”

I stopped spinning and gave him my undivided attention, “What do you want to know?” His lips pursed as he raised an eyebrow, “Fine, I’ll just start talking and you can interject when you think of one. Nicholas Fury is the director of SHIELD if I’m remembering correctly. He’s a good guy, even if he is a bit egotistical. He’s only doing what he thinks is best for the fate of the Earth.”

“Why would he care about the fate of the Earth instead of just the United States?”

“Because…” I sighed, not wanting to get too much into aliens, but knew I needed to in order to explain. “We’re not alone in the universe.”

“I could have told you that,” he grinned. “The possibility that life doesn’t exist elsewhere is microscopic. To think that we are the only intelligent life in the cosmos, not to mention the only life to develop technology as we have, is not only ludicrous but it’s arrogant as well.”

Nodding, I said, “Good, I’m glad you agree. Now, back in 1995 a woman crash landed here and was attacked by aliens. I’m not going to get into who she was, or her whole story. Suffice to say, Coulson and Fury had to deal with aliens and it took the woman and a lot of luck to get them gone. Since then, Fury has been thinking of ways to get people together with special abilities, that way if Earth is ever invaded, we have someone to call.”

“Makes sense.” He leaned back, “What do you think about the initiative?”

“Honestly, it’s a great thing. How the populace looks at you guys after events, that sucks. They tend to blame you for destroyed buildings and the like. Even though you are joining the fight after it starts, not starting it yourself.”

“You said ‘you guys.’ Who does that entail?” his voice held nothing but curiosity.

“I don’t know if I should tell you anything, but since Captain America is waking soon, it’s okay to know that he will be one of them.”

Tony shook his head, “Steve Rogers is dead.”

I laughed, “Tony, have you learned yet, I’m rarely wrong. And unless your timeline is considerably different than what I know, Steve is going to be waking up in about a year.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to figure out a way to word what I wanted to ask, “Can you… How would you say… What do I need in order to hack into SHIELD?”

“What?” His mouth fell open, “You want to hack into SHIELD?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t know exactly when they find Steve. But when they do, they are going to stick him in a fake hospital. My goal is to sneak onto the secure base so I can break him out.”

He started to laugh, softly at first. Then it grew until he was doubled over, clutching his stomach. I just glared at him until he stopped. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he chuckled, “You... You want to break him out of a secret military installation? Seriously? How do you expect to do that?”

“Fine, you don’t have to help,” I pouted, I couldn’t help it. “All I want to do is help him. Fury has the best intentions, but I think Steve needs someone who knows him to be there.”

Tony sobered up, “Bri, he doesn’t know you.”

“Not yet, but he will. And besides, I know things that no one else should.” I gave him a small smile, “This way, I can hopefully convince him that I’m trustworthy.”

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do, but I make no promises.” He walked over to his suit and put on the arm, “Want to see how this works?” I nodded and he pointed the hand and me, “A beam comes out right…”

He must have done something unintentionally because a beam of light shot out of his hand directly at me. I raised my hands instinctively and shut my eyes, waiting for the pain. When nothing happened, I opened them and saw Tony staring at me like he had seen a ghost, “How in the fuck did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“The blue shield?” He held up his hands and made a circle, “When I accidentally shot the beam at you, and you threw your hands up, a large round blue energy shield appeared in front of you. It just… sucked the beam into it.”

I looked at the ring, turning it on my finger. “Um…” I wasn’t sure if I should tell him or not. Knowing Tony, he would want to study the ring and try to figure out how it worked. Honestly, I didn’t know if I could fully trust him yet or not. I sighed and just told him, “It’s the ring. It was given to me, and no, you can’t examine it.”

“Fine,” he held up his hands. “Good to know you’re protected.” He picked up something off his table and threw it at me.

I held up my hands and it hit me, “Hey!”

“Sorry, just curious if it blocked physical objects too.”

I picked up the piece of plastic and chucked it back at him, “Yeah, well, now we know.”

“Now _we_ know? Did you not know it wouldn’t stop physical objects?” I covered my face as I flushed. Tony chuckled, “Did you even know it would stop my bolt?” I shook my head, “Fuck. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m fine. Just please try not to do it again.” Twisting the ring, I avoided his gaze, “And since I know you’re curious, I’m stronger than normal with it on.”

He clapped his hands together, excited, “How much can you lift?”

“I don’t know. I bought some stuff for my apartment and it felt like I was carrying nothing.” I sighed, “Can we not talk about this? I know you’re curious, and I am too, but I was told that I would figure out what it did as I needed to. Right now, I don’t need anything except to figure out what you meant by I’m your personal assistant.”

It was his turn to flush, “Sorry, it just kind of… uh… happened. I didn’t know what to say to Coulson, and I blurted it out.”

Sighing, I stood and headed for the door, “No worries. I wasn’t actually expecting a job.”

As my hand hit the handle, he said, “Wait.” I turned, “I may have said it rashly, but I still mean it. You could be useful around here.”

“I’m not an engineer, Tony.”

“No, you aren’t. But you have a degree in math, and you know things about the future.” He smiled, “Come on, you warned me about… you know who and are here to stop something awful. At least let me pay you for your services.”

He quoted a figure and I coughed from surprise, “That is way too much. That is double what I was making at my old job before… all this happened.”

“I’m a billionaire, Bri. Let me spoil you.” He picked up a laptop and handed it to me, “Take this. It’s connected to the internet, no matter where you are. And, it comes with JARVIS. It is connected to JARVIS here, but he won’t tell me anything if you ask him not to. Right JARVIS?”

“Of course, Mr. Stark,” a robotic British voice said. The voice seemed to come from all around us, “Miss Mayfield, I am very discreet. If you discuss something with me that Tony should not know, I will not tell him. However, that does come with a caveat. If…”

I interrupted, “Let me guess. If I’m planning something that would hurt Tony or someone dear to him, you would feel obligated to tell him.”

“Yes, precisely.” If I didn’t know better, I would say that JARVIS sounded relieved, “I believe that will not be a problem, however. Mr. Stark has told me a great deal about you. However, he doesn't know why you only sprung into existence a couple of weeks ago, nor why you falsified your records at Stanford.”

I turned bright red as Tony rubbed the back of his neck, “JARVIS, you weren’t supposed to tell her that. I didn’t want her to find out I knew.” He grinned sheepishly, “I don’t care that you didn’t exist before I met you. I’m sure there is a good reason and that you will tell me eventually. As for why you faked a Stanford education…”

“I have a degree in math, I swear.” Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose, “Just not from Stanford. The guy who created my ID, I asked him to give me credentials to get a job. I didn’t expect him to put me somewhere so prestigious.”

“Where did you graduate from?”

“The University of Nevada in Las Vegas. It’s not the best school, but I got my degree. However, they won’t have me on file either.”

“I’m not upset,” he handed me a bag. “This is for the laptop. If you want to get changed, I’ll take you home. We can start having you come over on the weekends to help me out around here. You can do stuff at home on the laptop if you want. I’ll still pay you the same.” He laid a hand on my shoulder, “I can tell that you are a good person, Bri. Just… don’t make me regret this.”

I set down the bag and laptop on a nearby table and pulled Tony into a big hug, holding tightly to his waist. He let out a loud breath and I released my stranglehold a little bit. When his arms held me and he rubbed my back, I sighed and sank into the hug. We stood like that for several minutes. I didn't want to let go because being in his arms made me feel safe and secure.

Then the door opened and Pepper walked in. We jumped apart like two school kids caught necking. She looked at each of us, “Good morning, Tony. Brianna.” The look she gave me wasn’t pleasant, “Whenever you are ready to go home, Happy is here to take you.”

I walked over and gave her a brief hug that she didn’t return. But it allowed me to whisper in her ear, “He loves you. Don’t push him away.” Then I grabbed the laptop, shoved it in the bag, and went upstairs.

On the way back to my apartment, I had Happy stop at the thrift store so I could buy a few things. I grabbed a nice box to put Steve’s medals and collectors cards, as well as a large painting of a landscape. The painting I had a very specific purpose in mind for.

Back at my apartment, I opened the laptop. A digital face appeared on the screen and a British voice said, “Hello, Miss Mayfield.”

“Hi, JARVIS.” I watched as the digital face blinked, a little creeped out, “Can you call me Brianna or Bri?”

“Sorry, Miss Mayfield. Mr. Stark programmed me to be polite.”

I laughed, “Tony, polite?”

“Yes,” his voice held no censure. “What can I help you with?”

“What do you know about time travel?”

“Only that it is impossible with our current knowledge of the way the world works.”

“Can you promise me that what we talk about will stay here?” I couldn’t help but be worried. If Tony found out before I was willing to tell him, it could jeopardize everything.

“Of course.” He blinked again, “I am now disconnected from the mainframe. My knowledge will be more limited, but you can discuss with me freely now.”

“I just… I need to tell someone.” Sighing, I leaned forward, resting my head on my arms, “I’m from both the future and an alternate timeline. I know what’s going to happen to Tony and the rest of the Avengers because I saw it happen… in movies.”

“Miss Mayfield, have you been drinking?” JARVIS sounded concerned.

“No, JARVIS. I’m completely sane.” Lifting my head, I stared at the face on the screen, “I don’t know what to do. I’m trying to stop something horrible. But along the way, other awful things have to happen in order for people to have their origin stories as heroes. If I stop those things, and they don’t become heroes, I’m pretty sure I’ll fail to stop the horrible thing. I just… I don’t know if I should. Who am I to take away the brave things that people like Tony do to save the world? Who am I to take away his sacrifice?”

“Miss Mayfield,” JARVIS interrupted me. “I’m not saying that I believe you. But I believe that you believe it is true. For simplicity, I’ll use the hypothesis that you are telling the truth. If Tony is going to die, and you can stop it, why wouldn’t you?”

“His death hurt a lot of people, but he saved the world.”

“Tony is already a hero,” JARVIS pointed out. “Albeit, on a smaller scale. This thing you are trying to stop, I’m guessing it will be a lot worse than Obadiah Stane.”

“It will kill billions.”

“Hypothetically, let’s assume you are correct. Tony would not want you to allow billions to die, simply so he could have a heroic moment. He is not that selfish.” JARVIS paused, “As for the bad things that need to happen, my advice would be to figure out what actually needs to happen in order to make the timeline fall in such a way that you can stop this catastrophe from happening. Then, make a list of the other bad things that happen that can be fixed. This way, you can stop billions from dying, but still, have the help you need.”

“JARVIS, if you were real, I would kiss you.” I chuckled when I remembered Vision, “Maybe I will be able to, one day.”

“Miss Mayfield…”

“Yes?”

“If you are telling the truth,” he paused, “and I’m not sure you are. But if you are, please know that I will do anything in my power to help.”

I flipped the painting over and brought out a pen. Starting at the top, I wrote a list of the Marvel movies and what years they took place in beside them, leaving enough room to put the major events next to them. “Thanks, JARVIS.”

It took a few hours, but I eventually had a comprehensive list of events and when I believed they would happen. Most of them would still have to happen. But that didn’t mean they had to happen exactly the same as in the movie. For example, I was going to find a way to capture Bucky as soon as possible. I knew it probably wouldn’t be until 2014, as I didn’t know where he was. But if I could keep him from escaping and kicking Steve’s ass on one of the evil ships HYDRA wanted to use to decimate the population, I would.

Which in turn, would kill a major plot point of _Captain America: Civil War_. But Dr. Strange had told me that the team couldn’t break up. He said to keep the team together and bring Bucky in from HYDRA. Those were two things I knew I could accomplish if I put my mind to it. Luckily, I had four years to figure out how to capture a guy who was brainwashed and had a metal arm.


	7. Chapter 7

2011

“Why are we in Washington, Tony?” I asked. I had even gotten a suit special for the occasion. All he had told me was to prepare to meet a bunch of stuffy old white men. Rhodey sat in the back of the car with us, “Also, why am I here? I’m not telling anyone in Washington about what I know is going to happen. No way in hell. They will lock me up and throw away the key.”

“What do you mean?” Rhodey gave me a weird look. I realized I had never talked about my knowledge of the future before, “What do you know about that is going to happen?”

“Nope, not tell you either, Rhodes. I like you, but I don’t know you that well yet.” I just shook my head, “But don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I’ll just sit there and look pretty. You guys can be the men.”

Tony laughed, “I wish I had known what a surprisingly sassy woman you were before I hired you.”

“Oh,” I raised an eyebrow. My tone turned dark, “Why? You wouldn’t have hired me?”

“Oh no, I would have hired you sooner.” He chuckled as the car stopped in front of a large building, “You’re like… the female version of me. Only hotter.”

“Thank you, I think.” I climbed out first and smoothed my skirt down. While I didn’t enjoy wearing so much polyester, I did have to admit that I looked good, “You still haven’t told me why we are here.”

“I got a subpoena to appear before the Senate committee about my suit.”

It was my turn to laugh, “Don’t worry. You make a laughingstock of Hammer.”

“Justin Hammer is going to be here?” Tony glared, “Rhodey, what the fuck? You could have told me.”

“Yeah, and then you wouldn’t have come. Defying a subpoena from the Senate is always a bad idea,” Rhodey led us into the building. When we got to a set of large doors, he turned to me, “Honestly, Brianna, I’m not sure why he brought you. I don’t think the Senate committee will understand either. If they ask you any direct questions, just defer them to Tony or me.”

As he pushed open the door, I said cheekily, “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

Tony laughed and slipped my arm through his, “There’s my girl.”

We walked up to the front of the room and sat down at one of the two tables. Media had cameras trained on both our table, as well as the Senate committee members and Hammer. When we sat, Hamer walked over and smirked, “Tony, so good of you to join us.” He looked at me, “Who’s your arm candy?”

I stood up and walked closer, an angry smile on my face, “Excuse me?”

He ignored my presence, “You know the rules, Tony. Your sluts need to stay outside.” He said the words soft enough that any microphone wouldn’t pick him up.

I didn’t care if anyone heard or saw me. My hand came up and I slapped him as hard as I could. The room erupted in noise and one of the old white men at the front said loudly, “Miss if you can’t behave, I will have to ask you to leave.”

Now, I didn’t care if I got kicked out. I already knew what would happen, and Tony didn’t need me for this. I looked at the old man and gave him a charming smile, saying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Well, gosh, I’m sorry. Next time he calls me a slut I’ll just let him. Wouldn’t want a woman to make a scene.”

Several people in the audience laughed and the old man’s face turned red. He sputtered, “Miss, that is highly inappropriate.”

“No,” I waggled my finger at him. “What’s inappropriate is the fact that you are sitting up there all high and mighty, looking down upon me because I am a female. Thinking that I don’t deserve the same respect as any of you simply because I don’t have a dick between my legs. Well, gentlemen, you may have dicks, but that doesn’t mean you have to be one.”

A guard started to come toward me and I held up my hand, “Oh, don’t worry, I’m leaving. But just so you know, if any media asks me about what happened here, I will gladly tell them.” I walked over to Tony and whispered in his ear, “Sorry. I just don’t approve of men treating me like shit just because I’m a woman. You don’t need me anyway. I already know how this goes.”

He whispered back, “You did great, kiddo.”

I walked out with my head held high, taking a seat on a bench outside the room. I leaned against the wall and waited patiently for Tony to come out. It took about forty-five minutes, but when I heard clapping I knew it was over. Tony pushed open the door and I stood. He had a grin on his face but I could tell that he felt irritated. Working with someone side by side would teach you a lot about how people hide their real emotions.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the building before anyone else could exit the room. Once we were far enough away, I turned him so he looked at me, “You okay, Tony?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” the Tony he showed the world still crept through.

I reached up and caressed his cheek, “Tony, you don’t have to pretend with me. I know you, remember? Now, what’s wrong?”

He sighed and sat down on a bench, “They want my suit.”

“I know, but you aren’t going to give it to them, so what does it matter?”

“It’s that I even had to do this at all.” He took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes, “I’m tired, Bri. I’m tired of people thinking that they know better than me. People have done that to me my whole life. No matter what I’ve accomplished, they’ve always wanted something else.”

“Look, let’s just go back to New York. Nothing bad is going to happen for a little while. Let’s just relax and work on making cool shit.”

A couple of weeks later we were in his lab. Tony was teaching me how to weld electronics. He wanted me to make myself a suit, or at least pieces of one that I could wear if need be. I didn’t think I needed one, but he made the point that if I was attacked, he wouldn’t always be there. My current project was a pair of electricity generating devices that attached to my palms. They strapped on at the wrist and my fingers, which held it in place. But I hadn’t been able to figure out how to deliver a shock to something else without getting shocked myself.

“Fuck,” I yelled as I got shocked again.

“You’re getting wires crossed,” Tony came over and took the tools away from me. “Give it a break for a little while.” 

As he took a sip from a water bottle, I saw it was full of green stuff, “Tony, when did you start drinking chlorophyll?”

“It hasn’t been that long…” but he looked away as he said it.

“Tony,” my voice went low. “You can’t lie to me. I know that you are getting palladium poisoning from your arc reactor. I told you this would happen.”

“Yeah well, you also told me that I would be able to develop a new way to power this,” he tapped on the metal circle permanently attached to his chest. “And I haven’t found this diorama you keep talking about. So boohoo, I didn’t tell you. I’m managing it.”

My voice softened, “Tony, I know the chlorophyll helps, but it’s only going to get worse. You need to at least look…”

He threw the drink across the room. Green liquid splattered on the wall as he yelled, “I’ve looked everywhere! Every fucking where. If it still exists, I can’t find it.”

The door opened and we both turned. Pepper stood there, taking in the tension between us as well as the green liquid on the glass wall. I sighed, “Hey, Pepper. Don’t worry, I just touched his suit again. You know how he gets about that.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Well, I’m not.” She glared, “Did you just donate our entire modern art collection to the boy scouts of America?”

“Yes. But it’s not our collection, it’s my collection.”

“Actually, Tony,” they both looked at me. “She put all the work into collecting the pieces. I bet you didn’t even know what was in it.”

“Thank you, Brianna.” She turned back to Tony, “I only need to talk to you about like 8,000 different things. Stark is in complete disarray.”

They started arguing back and forth about all the things going on at the company. I only listened with half an ear because I wanted to see if I could make my hand shockers work. Then Tony said, “Excellent idea, you run the company.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to run the company…”

“Well, stop trying and just do it.”

“That’s what I’m trying…”

“You’re not listening.” Tony started to grow agitated, “I’m trying to make you CEO. Why won’t you let me?”

“Have you been drinking?” all of the fight had left her. She sounded terrified.

“Chlorophyll.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, “I, Tony Stark, hereby appoint you chairwoman and CEO of Stark Industries, effective immediately.”

Pepper continued to look at him like he was crazy. I knew what he was thinking. The poison that was slowly killing him had made him realize that he needed to leave his company in capable hands. What better hands than those of Pepper who knew almost as much, if not more, about the company than him.

I walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “You’re going to do fantastically, Pepper. You make an excellent CEO.”

“Future stuff?” she asked quietly.

“Future stuff,” I winked. “Don’t worry, you do a better job than Tony. Now, go ahead and figure out what needs to be signed to make it official. I’ll make sure he takes care of it. And I have an idea of who would be a good candidate for your personal assistant. Her name is Natalie Rushman.”

“How do you…” she shook her head. “Nevermind, I don’t want to know.”

She left the room and Tony came up to me. He looked scared, “Please don’t tell Pepper I’m dying.”

“Tony, she deserves to know the truth.” 

“I can’t, not yet.” He rubbed his chest right below the reactor, “I just… I don’t want her to worry.”

“She worries anyway. She loves you.”

“Just don’t tell her.”

“I won’t,” I gave him a hug. “Now, are you going to help me fix these, or do I have to keep shocking myself.”

“Everyone starts somewhere, kiddo,” he ruffled my hair. “I’ll help if you have questions, but this is your project.”


	8. Chapter 8

2011

“Alright, Brianna,” Happy bounced from side to side, cracking his neck at the same time. “This is the first day of your training. You ready for this?”

I slipped on my boxing gloves. Tony helped velcro them to my wrists, “Why am I doing this again?”

“Your hand shockers aren’t working yet. I’ll feel better if I know you actually can defend yourself against a person,” Tony said as he slid a boxing helmet over my hair.

“But boxing?” I gave him an incredulous look before turning to Happy, “No offense, Hap, but I don’t see how this is helpful. If I get in a real fight, they aren’t going to play by the rules.”

“Listen here, kid,” Happy started to say.

Tony held up a hand, “Just give it a shot.” When I glared, he chuckled, “Fine, how about this? You get one good punch in on Happy, and I’ll get you a real trainer. One that knows MMA or something.”

“Do you promise?” It may have not been fair, but I knew that Tony would never back down from a promise. Even the ones that he made in jest he would follow through with.

“I promise.” He patted me on the back and then got out of the ring. Picking up his chlorophyll, he took a big sip, “Don’t hold back, Bri. Happy can take it.”

As Happy and circled on another, Pepper came in, “The notary’s here. Can you please come and sign the transfer paperwork?”

We continued to move around as Tony watched us. When Happy’s eyes drifted to the entryway, I knew that Natasha had shown up. I took advantage of his distraction and punched him hard in the jaw. He stumbled backward, bringing a hand to his cheek. “Jesus, kid. You pack a mean punch.”

As he rubbed his jaw, Pepper said, “I promise. This is the only time I plan to ask you to sign over your company.”

I climbed out of the ring, stripping off the gloves. Tony looked at Natasha, “What’s your name?”

“Natalie. Natalie Rushman,” her voice sounded husky, just like the shows portrayed it.

I couldn’t help but stare at her as I stood there. Her eyes met mine and she frowned slightly. Not enough that anyone else noticed, just me. I had watched Black Widow on the big screen. Her facial expressions were more expressive than most people thought. Or maybe, Scarlett Johansen was just a good actress. Either way, I noticed her confusion. But I had to try and keep calm. The last time I saw Black Widow on the screen, she sacrificed herself for Clint. She may not have gotten a funeral, but I still had sobbed like a baby when she died.

“Front and center. Come into the church,” Tony pointed to the ring.

“You’re not seriously going to ask her to…” Pepper started to say.

“If it pleases the court, which it does.”

“It’s no problem,” Natasha said. I started to chuckle, knowing how bad she trounced Happy. Although, he shouldn’t complain. He got to have his head between her legs. Most men didn’t live long past that point. She climbed in, acting all seductive. She and Tony were having a sort of stare off.

He took a sip of his drink, “What?” Natasha’s mouth quirked into a smile. “Can you give her a lesson?” he asked Happy, then walked over to Pepper to sign the paperwork.

I just stayed by the ring, wanting to watch Natasha longer. Her movements were much smoother than they ever had been on the theater screen. I guess that’s the difference between a trained assassin and a person who just plays one. She seemed dangerous, like someone you wouldn’t want to cross.

As much as I tried to listen to Pepper and Tony, Natasha had my full attention. She occasionally glanced at me, confusion written across her face. Happy gestured for her to come closer, “You ever boxed before?”

“I have, yes,” she said, hands on her hips. I chuckled softly. Boxing would be an understatement.

“What? Like Tae Bo, booty boot camp, something like that?” he looked down at her and I watched as the smirk left her face.

“How do I spell your name?” Tony yelled.

“R-U-S-H-M-A-N.”

Natasha looked over at Tony as he talked with Pepper. Happy grinned, “Rule number one, never take your eyes off your opponent.”

He started to punch softly and she grabbed his gloved hand, twisting it and turning him over. Then she jumped up, wrapping her legs around him as he leaned over, dropping him to the mat. I clapped as she climbed out. My eyes never left her.

Tony came over trying to say something to her, but Natasha walked up to me, “Can you show me where the bathroom is?”

I nodded and led her out of the room. When we were a suitable distance down the hallway, she spun me, pushing my back against the wall, “Who are you?”

“Brianna Mayfield,” I should have been scared. But even with the murderous glint in her eyes, I couldn’t be scared of her. She was one of my top three favorite Marvel characters.

“Why do you keep staring at me, Brianna Mayfield?” she growled out the question. I could tell that she was moments away from hurting me, but I still smiled.

“Natasha,” I said softly. When her arm came up to my throat, pressing hard enough to make me cough, I realized my mistake.

“How the fuck do you know who I am?” she pressed her arm harder against me, cutting off my airflow. “You shouldn’t know who I am.”

Tears sprung to my eyes. Not from the pain, but from the memory of her death. I lifted my hand up, moving it to touch her face. She sprung back from me and I wiped at the tears that had begun to fall. Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Tony. He finds out soon anyway.”

Her glare returned, “What the fuck do you mean?”

“Well, you tell him. You and Fury,” I said it nonchalantly. I heard Tony calling for us, “We should probably go back.” I turned to go, then looked back at her, “Natasha, seriously, I won’t tell him. You can trust me.”

“I don’t know you.”

“But you will.” I walked away, heading back to the main room. As I walked, I rubbed my eyes trying to hide the fact that I had been crying. When I got back, Tony gave me a look that said he knew I had been crying and would talk to me about it later, “You should sign those papers. You have an MMA trainer to find for me.”

As he did, he looked at Natasha, “I don’t know. Natalie here just took down Happy like it was nothing. Maybe she can train you?”

My eyes moved over to where Natasha stood, a slightly irritated look on her face that she quickly hid with a smile, “Of course, Mr. Stark, anything you want. However, I do think she might be better served by someone who knows what they are doing. I only train for fun, not for combat.”

I couldn’t help the snort of laughter. Tony looked over at me, “Well, thank you for bringing this by.” As Natasha left, he turned to Pepper, “I want one.”

“Well, you can’t have her.”

“I think you should transfer her from legal to being your assistant, Pepper. She’d be a real asset,” I smiled. “I mean, she took Happy down like it was nothing. You would never have to worry about your safety or security with her around.”

“How do you…” Pepper shook her head, “Nevermind, I sometimes forget who I’m talking to.” She turned to Tony, “I’ll just file these. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Once Pepper was gone, Tony dismissed Happy as well and stalked over to me, “Why were you crying?”

“I wasn’t crying,” I lied.

“Bri,” he gave me his best dad expression. “I may have been born on a Wednesday, but it wasn’t last Wednesday. Now, tell me, why were you crying?”

“I can’t tell you.” He glared at me and I held my hands up, “I want to tell you, but I promised Nat…” I stopped myself before I said her real name. Maybe if I just used the shortened version of her name, I wouldn’t accidentally screw up, “I promised Nat I wouldn’t tell you. It’s nothing important, not really.”

“If you say so,” he sounded calm, but his expression didn’t agree with what he said.

“I have something else that is slightly more pressing to tell you,” I pulled him over to the couch and forced him to sit. I joined him, “Does the name Vanko sound familiar?” He shook his head, “Vanko was a scientist with your father. He helped develop the arc reactor. And before you argue with me, just believe what I’m saying, I can prove it later. As I was saying, your father didn’t like what Vanko wanted to do with the arc reactor so he had him deported. His son, Ivan Vanko, has the plans for the arc reactor and is going to build a miniature one as you did and use them to power some pretty impressive whips.”

“Okay, and this concerns me, why?”

“Because you are going to leave for France sometime this year and take part in the Grand Prix de Monaco. He’s going to go after you with the whips. You survive, but because he gets caught, Hammer ends up…”

“Fucking Hammer,” Tony stood up and started pacing, sipping from the chlorophyll. “God, I hate that guy.”

“You and everyone else. Hammer breaks him out of jail, faking his death, and gets his help building drone suits for the military. There’s an epic fight, you and Rhodey win, Vanko dies, Hammer is taken to jail.”

“Anything else?” his eyebrows raised.

“You are going to go a little off the rails as you get closer to death. Your birthday, the one you think is going to be your last, you get drunk in the suit. You and Rhodey fight and he steals the suit to take it to the military. Then Fury gives you a shot to make the effects of the poisoning diminish.”

“And…”

“I don’t know everything, Tony. But you find the new element, I swear it. If Strange… If I’m here and I can’t help you survive this, I’m going to be angry.” I grabbed his hand in mine, “Everything works out, at least for the next few years.” I smiled, trying to raise the somber mood, “Now, when are you and Pepper going to start dating?”


	9. Chapter 9

2011

It was a couple of months later and Tony stood in front of me, looking like a kid in the candy store, “How do you feel about France?” 

“France,” my confusion must have been obvious because he looked confused too.

“I thought I told you. We’re going to France for the race. Of course, Pepper thinks it’s for work, but…”

I held up my hand, “Sorry, I remember now.” He hadn’t actually talked to me about it outside of when I told him what happened, but I didn’t want him to know that, “You guys will have a great time.”

“You’re coming too,” he grinned. “The whole group is going. Me, Pepper, Happy, Natalie, you…”

“Um, would you hate me if stayed? As much as I would love to go to France, I just don’t really feel up to traveling.” I had a thought which would change the timeline slightly, but shouldn’t alter anything too much, “Maybe Nat can stay with me. I’d still really like to learn to defend myself, and she seems fairly capable. Plus, you won’t need her while you’re there.”

“You really don’t want a free trip to France?” he sounded incredulous. Like he couldn’t believe that a twenty-five year old would do such a thing, “Come on, it’s France.”

“And saying that won’t change the fact that I would rather stay here.” I walked over and gave him a hug so I could whisper in his ear, “Please, Tony. I could really use someone on my side.”

“Fine,” he released me and gestured for Natasha to come over. “Natalie, you are staying with Bri. She needs some self-defense trailing and I would like you to do it.”

‘Mr. Stark?” she glared at me when he turned away. “Won’t you need me in France?”

“Yes, but I can live without you for a few days. Bri on the other hand, she needs someone to show her the ropes.” He patted her on the back, “I leave in a few hours, take care of her for me.”

He left the room and then it was just me and Natasha. Her arms crossed over her chest, “You know I’m supposed to stay with him.”

“He’ll be fine. I know what happens,” I said it matter-of-factly. “And no, I’m not telling you anything.”

“Can you just give me something? Anything?” she looked calm, but her voice came out hoarse and low. “I’m trying to be patient with you, but you know who I am and won’t tell me how. If it weren’t for the fact that you are Tony’s friend, I would have killed you already.”

I took a step back, but I smiled, “I know. You’re the Black Widow, after all, you could kill me with a plastic spoon.” She took a menacing step forward and I stopped smiling, “Look, let’s just sit down for a second and I’ll tell you what I can.”

She walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, sitting in it. Her foot kicked out the one next to her. Her eyes looked down at it, then back at me. I sat down, “I can’t tell you everything. Simply because you won’t believe me and I haven’t told anyone. Plus, I don’t know how much of what I tell you will get back to Fury, and I can’t have him knowing certain things.”

“What if I say I won’t tell him?”

“Why should I trust you?” She didn’t need to know that I already did. That the fact that she sacrificed herself for Clint made her worthy of my trust, “You haven’t given me any real reason to.”

“Fair enough,” she shrugged. “Tell me something about myself that no one else would know.”

“Where you were raised, they taught you ballet and fighting. You were always exceptional, Natasha, your entire life. I don’t know a lot about your life before you… when you were younger, but I know that something happened in Budapest with Clint Barton.” Her eyes narrowed, “Although, I don’t know what. The problem, Natasha, is that at this point in time in history, I don’t have a lot of information on you. Other than the fact that you work with Fury for SHIELD, I don’t know much about you other than the fact that you are the Black Widow and kick ass.”

“What do you want from me?” her face was cold and expressionless.

“I want you to teach me how to defend myself.”

“I’m not stupid, Brianna, I know there is something else.” She leaned forward, “Something that you aren’t telling me.”

Sighing, I reached into my purse and took out my wallet. From inside, I pulled out the picture of Steve and Bucky, handing it to her, “Do you know these men?”

“The tall one looks vaguely familiar.” She tilted her head from side to side as she looked at the photo. Shaking her head, she handed it back to me, “No, I don’t know them.”

“The short scrawny one is Steve Rogers, Captain America.” Her eyes lit with recognition, “Well, before he became Captain America. The tall one, his name is Bucky Barnes. They are the main reason I am here. These two men. Something big is going to happen in a few years, you are going to be an important player, as are they. I can’t tell you what yet, but trust me when I say you are going to be needed.”

She scowled, “This picture is from a long time ago, how are they important players in something that hasn’t happened yet? And how do you know what is going to happen?”

“I can’t tell you the second part. But the first…” I smiled, “Steve Rogers stopped millions from dying by crashing a plane into the Arctic. He’s going to be found later this year. That’s what I need from you. SHIELD is going to put him in a secure location in New York City, and I need you to tell me when it happens and where it will be. That’s it. I’m planning on breaking him out.”

“I don’t understand,” her eyebrows furrowed. “Besides, why would I help you?”

“Please, Natasha.” I grabbed her hand, “I need you to do this for me. Steve is… he means a lot to me. I don’t want him to wake up in this century without someone there who cares about him or his welfare. I need to do this.”

She sighed, “Give me one good reason. Just one, why I should help you. If you can do this, I will.”

“The thing that I’m here to stop… if I can do it, if I can stop it from happening, you won’t die.”

“That would mean something to me if I believed you knew what was going to happen, but I don’t.”

Frowning, I tried to come up with something that she would believe, “I don’t know how to make you believe me. But if you have access to SHIELD databases, you’ll see that I’m telling the truth when they find Steve. I care about him, Natasha. Him and Bucky, they hold a special place in my heart. They’ve had so much shit thrown at them their entire lives. Please, just keep an eye out for when they find him. If they do, you’ll know that I’m telling the truth.”

“Fine,” she glowered. Then she sighed, “If I see them find Steve, I’ll let you know. But until then, you are going to train your ass off. I refuse to help you break into a military base if you can’t even defend yourself.”

We spent the next several weeks training me how to be a little bit like her. France happened exactly like in the movies. When Tony came back, he was stunned that I knew so much. Even after everything I had told him before, he still didn’t completely believe me. To be honest, I wouldn’t have believed myself either. 

When Vanko ‘died’ in prison, Tony believed me when I said Hammer broke him out to build drones for him. The only problem, we couldn’t prove it. His birthday came, and in a fit of depression over the poisoning, he put on his Iron Man suit and got plastered. Rhodey took the second suit to the military, and Fury and Natasha met Tony at a donut shop. To say that Tony was mad at me for not telling him Natasha was an agent, understatement of the year. He yelled at me for a solid twenty minutes.

I just let him, because he happened to be right. I should have told him. The only reason I didn’t was that I had promised her. After that, she disappeared on me. Luckily, I had gotten her to train me for long enough that I felt slightly comfortable with fighting. Not a lot, but enough that Tony didn’t force me to get back in the ring with Happy.

After the donut shop, the diorama was found in storage and he did as I suggested, uploading it to his holographic matrix. It didn’t take long for him to figure out and synthesize the new element. Then, after the expo, he kicked Vanko’s ass and Hammer went to jail. I wish I could say that I stopped some of the bad things from happening, but this ended up being one of those things that I couldn’t stop. I’m not sure I should have stopped it even if I could.

If I had stopped Hammer before Vanko, then Vanko would have still been out there waiting. If I had stopped Vanko before Hammer’s drones attacked, then Hammer wouldn’t have been brought down. Too many scenarios in which more bad things could happen that I had no way to predict. Besides, this turned out to be one of those things that weren’t that bad. No one got seriously injured, no one other than Vanko dies. To me, this turned out to be a win-win scenario.


	10. Chapter 10

2011

Laying in bed, I got woken up by a text message.

**_NATASHA: I shouldn’t be doing this. If Fury found out I gave you this information… They found Steve Rogers in the Arctic. The place they’re holding him is in the middle of New York City. It’s a secure location, but not so secure you couldn’t get in if you knew the way._ **

Her next text message had the address.

**_NATASHA: They expect him to wake up in a few hours. So, if you’re going to go and get him, now is the time._ **

**ME: Thanks, Nat. This means a lot to me.**

**_NATASHA: What can I say? I have a soft spot for things like this. It’s like the start of a romance novel. I expect to be invited to the wedding._ **

**_NATASHA: Do you need help?_ **

**ME: Do you think I can get in by myself?**

**_NATASHA: No. Not without an access card. Meet me there in an hour. I’ll help you get in, but the rest is up to you._ **

**ME: See you then.**

I climbed out of bed, quickly cleaning up the apartment a little bit. I thought about putting away the pictures of Steve and Bucky. But they made me happy. Seeing their smiles might help him adjust too. Or he would think I was a creepy stalker. Hopefully, he just saw them and remembered the good times. I did make sure that the painting got put back on its hook and looked straight. I did not need him seeing my notes on the back and freaking out.

“Miss Mayfield, may I ask what you are doing?” JARVIS asked. I turned to the computer, “You seem agitated.”

“Remember when I told you about Steve?”

“Yes,” his robotic British voice sounded calm.

“I’m about to go and rescue him from SHIELD.” I stopped what I was doing, “Okay, he doesn’t actually need to be rescued. But I remember him freaking out when he woke up. I just… I want to try and make him feel more comfortable if I can.”

I pulled on a pair of black leggings and a black t-shirt. My goal was to be as inconspicuous as possible when I entered the facility. I would try to avoid other people, but at least with black, I could blend into the shadows easier.

“Do you want me to call Tony? Maybe he can help.”

“No,” my voice came out sharper than I intended. I took a deep breath, “Sorry, JARVIS, I don’t mean to snap at you. No, I don’t want Tony to know. He already knows that I want to be there for Steve, but when he couldn’t hack into SHIELD… I just don’t want him to be upset with me for doing this. Also, I don’t want Fury to be upset with him. Tony is more important than I am.”

“Miss Mayfield, I do not believe that to be true.” JARVIS’s voice sounded almost irritated with me, “Everything that you have told me about the future, it appears that you are the catalyst to stopping Thanos from killing half of the galaxy. Based on the things that have happened the way you said they would, it seems like you know at least some of the things that will happen."

I raised an eyebrow at my laptop, "Are you saying you believe me? I thought you didn't believe things that aren't based in logic?"

"You are correct," his voice sounded vaguely amused. "However, I have seen evidence that you are not entirely crazy in your assertions."

"Well, thanks, I think," I put my sneakers on and grabbed my keys. I wasn't taking any of my identifying information. Natasha already knew who I was, so I felt pretty secure in the knowledge that Fury did as well. But it was always better to air on the side of caution, "Alright, I'm gonna close you so you don't freak Steve out when I bring him. Assuming I can get him out."

"Please be safe, Miss Mayfield. I do not want to have to inform Mr. Stark that something has befallen you."

"I will," I shut the laptop and headed out to the location Natasha had sent me. 

Close by the location, I saw red hair under a baseball cap and walked over. Natasha saw me and smiled, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Honestly, I'm terrified. You've taught me so much, but I'm not an operative. I'm just a girl." I sighed, "But I'm doing it anyway. Steve deserves to not be panicked when he wakes up."

"And you know this because?" her voice rose.

"I can't tell you. Not yet," shrugging, I took the card from her. "Thanks for this."

She gave me a half smile, "I just took it off some guy going home for the day. He won't miss it." She turned to go, "Be careful."

"I will."

I headed toward the entrance of the secure location they were holding him. I didn't quite understand how it could really be secure, given it was positioned right next to the main road. Maybe they thought that hiding in plain sight was a good idea.

Natasha had told me where the back entrance was, so I moved toward that. Apparently, Steve was in a large bay area where they had built a hospital room, just for him. They were no cameras in the room. They didn't want him to see them and freak out. She did tell me that there were microphones placed around, so I would have to keep my voice quiet.

The card worked in the back door. No one seemed to be around, so I moved down the hall, trying to keep my footsteps quiet. No alarm sounded, so I assumed they hadn't noticed someone had made their way in who shouldn't be there.

Once I got to the large open room, I looked around. A wooden structure stood there, a door on one of the sides. A few people stood off to the other side, talking. There was also an armed guard who walked around the structure.

After watching for a few minutes to track the guards movement, I headed down toward the door. It opened quietly, and I went inside. Steve was sleeping on top of the covers. The baseball game played on the radio. Loud enough that I knew a quiet conversation wouldn't be overheard.

I crept to the bed and placed my hand on his arm. The first thing I realized after touching him was the feeling I got. It felt right like he was something important to me. More important that I had even thought. Steve's eyes sprang open and I placed a finger on his lips. My voice was barely above a whisper, "Hey, Steve." His eyes narrowed, but he kept quiet. "I know you don't know me, but I know you. Your mother's name is Sarah and you used to put newspaper in your shoes."

As his eyes widened, he lifted my hand off his mouth, "Who are you?"

"My name is Brianna. But you aren't in 1945 anymore." He looked so confused, "I don't have time to explain." I took a key and a piece of paper out of my pocket and slipped it into his, "That has directions on how to get to my apartment and this is the key. I'm going to help you sneak out the back door then I'm going to distract them while you disappear."

"Am I in danger?" his voice was low, but the words came out serious.

"No. The people who have you have the best of intentions. They aren't HYDRA. But still, they have expectations." I sighed, "We really don't have time for this. I know you don't trust me, Steve. But I need you to do as I ask. I'll explain everything later."

He sat up, "Alright." His head cocked to the side as he listened, "I've heard this game before."

"I know." We stood and I looked around for shoes, but there weren't any, "I've got some clothes on my bed for you, if you want to change. Also, the showers available if you want to use it. Food and drinks are in the fridge." I handed him the card, "This will get you out of the building."

Opening the door, I looked and didn't see anyone. I motioned for him to follow me. When we reached the hallway, I pointed, "The door is just down there." I put my hands on his shoulders, "You have the only key to the apartment. So please answer when I knock."

"How will I know it's you?"

I thought for a second, "I'll say, I can do this all day." His eyes went wide and he nodded, "Now go."

Once he was down the hall, I ran back to the main room, not bothering to conceal myself. Several people started running after me, but I narrowly avoided them. Stepping out of their reach. I made it out the front door and into the street when several cars pulled up and blocked me in.

Fury climbed out, glaring at me, "Where is Steve Rogers?"

I laughed, "Nope, not telling."

He gestured and two armed guys came up to me, putting me in handcuffs, "You will."

They shoved me into a car and took off. We drove for maybe thirty minutes. The car pulled through a military gate and once we stopped, they drug me out. I cooperated, smiling the whole time.

They put me in an interrogation room. Coulson and Fury sat opposite me. I looked at Coulson, "Nice to see you again."

His eyes narrowed, "How did you know about the hammer?"

I winked, "I know a lot of things, Phil. Like how you have vintage Captain America trading cards that you plan on getting Steve to sign.” I turned to Fury, “And, I know how you hurt your eye.”

Fury raised an eyebrow, “No one knows that.”

Coulson raised his hand, “I can vouch for that. He tells a different story to each person he meets.”

“No one knows on this planet.” I leaned as far forward as I could with my hands cuffed together, “Carol Danvers knows. But she’s off-world right now. Does anyone else alive actually know the story?”

Glaring at me, Fury said, “We are not here for you to interrogate us. We want to know where Steve is.”

“And I’m not telling you.” I sat up straight, “You can do whatever you want to me, Nicky boy, I’m not talking.”

We sat there for several minutes, no one saying a word. Coulson looked at me, “So, how did Fury hurt his eye?”

“Out,” Fury said that one word with as much anger as he could muster. Coulson left the room, “You don’t know the story. You can’t.”

I looked at the two-way mirror and leaned forward. When he did as well, I whispered, “Flerken named Goose ring a bell?”

“Mother fucker. How did you know that?”

“The same way I know everything else. And I’m still not telling you where Captain America is, nor how I know the things I do.” When he crossed his arms over his chest and glared, I sighed, “How about this? I promise to bring him in, but you need to give me at least twenty-four hours with him first. He’s in a new time, just woken up from being in the Arctic. He’s not going to trust you. And quite honestly, I wouldn’t blame him. He’s a soldier out of time, Fury. I can convince him to join the Avengers initiative. All he wants to do is help people.”

“How do you…”

“The same way I know about your eye. Eventually, you will be let in on my secret the same as everyone else in the Avengers.” I rattled the handcuffs, “Now, you can either do as I ask and let me go to him, or you can risk losing him forever. Which is it going to be?”

He stood up and walked over, taking the handcuffs off my wrists, “Miss Mayfield, I sincerely hope that you are not lying to me. I know that you work for Tony Stark, so I can and will find you again if you disappear on me.”

As I stood, I rubbed my wrists. They had made the cuffs a little too tight, so red marks marred my flesh, “Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.”

I walked out of the building to see Happy leaning against a town car. He gave me a small smile, “They called Tony and he sent me.”

“Thanks, Happy. Just take me home.”

I didn’t say anything on the ride back, which was not normal for me. I usually talked Happy’s ears off and he would let me. We had quite a few lively discussions when he would take me from my apartment to Tony’s house and back again. But I just didn’t have anything to say to him that wouldn’t get back to Tony. But if Tony had been called, then he at least knew some of it.


	11. Chapter 11

2011 

Happy dropped me off and I headed up the stairs to my apartment. I knocked on the door and waited for Steve to answer. There was no noise coming from inside the apartment and no one asked me to say the phrase. Putting my back against the door, I slid down to the ground, tears in my eyes. He hadn’t come. I had been hoping that he would believe me, that he would be hiding out in the apartment. But he wasn’t responding to my knocking.

I probably sat there for five minutes when the door opened and I fell backward. Laying on my back, I looked up and saw Steve standing there, a towel around his waist. Water glistened on his hair and body. He stood far enough back that I couldn’t see up his towel, but still, my face burned hot as I flushed.

“Sorry, I was in the shower,” he ran a hand through his hair and then held out his other for me to grab. Instinctively, I grabbed it and he lifted me to my feet easily. “I waited to see if you were following, but when you didn’t come back right away I decided to take a shower. The water is quite warm with good pressure. We never had anything that nice.”

I couldn’t help myself, I stared at his muscular torso. The water just highlighted all the muscle definition he had. He was even more well-defined than in the movies. I forced myself to look at his face. He had a mirthful expression, a cocky half-grin on his face. I swallowed, “Sorry, I got held up. Literally.” I walked in and shut the door, making sure to lock it. “Why don’t you finish your shower and get dressed? I’ll explain everything to you when you are ready.”

He moved closer to me, causing my face to flush bright red again, “Are you going to tell me why you have pictures of me and Bucky? Or why you have a jacket of mine from before…”

I closed my eyes, “Yes. But it’s really not as bad as what you are probably thinking. I swear I’m not just a Captain America fan, nor a stalker.” Opening them again, I made sure to look at his face, “You are gorgeous, Steve Rogers. But do you know what I see when I look at you? It’s not Captain America. It’s not the hard body that looks like it was carved from marble. No, I see a young Steve. A pre-serum Steve. That man, the one that would never back down, he is what I see when I look at you. That man is why I am here today, right now with you.”

He frowned in confusion, “I don’t understand.”

I took a step forward and placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart, “I see what’s in here. I see the courage, compassion, bravery, and selflessness that you possess.” I looked up at him and smiled, “You are a much better man than people know, Captain.”

He looked down at my hand which I pulled away quickly, “I’m not sure about that, ma’am.” When I glared, he grinned, “Brianna. But, unless you plan on getting naked and joining me, I should get dressed.”

My face turned red again and I took a step back, “Okay, I was not expecting Steve Rogers to proposition me. I thought you would be more…”

“Innocent?” He laughed, “I was, at one time. But then this happened.” He waved at his body, “Women loved it. What can I say? I indulged. And I see the way your eyes couldn’t tear away from me. I can tell when a woman wants me.”

I took another step back and frowned, “Just go get dressed, Steve.” He went into the bathroom and I sat down on the bed, confused. The Steve that I knew from the movies wasn’t like this. He didn’t treat women like they were just for sex. He treated everyone with respect. I couldn’t reconcile what I knew of him with how he was acting.

He came out of the bathroom, wearing sweats and the t-shirt I had purchased. Luckily, they seemed to fit him. He must have seen me frowning because he walked over and sat down next to me, but far enough away that I didn’t recoil away, “I’m sorry.” I frowned more, “I shouldn’t have acted like that toward you. It’s just… you are very beautiful, and contrary to what I just said, I haven’t been with many women. I… I don’t normally act like a cad toward women, my mother raised me better. Please say that you’ll forgive me.”

“I don’t understand.”

He didn’t realize I was not understanding the dichotomy between what I knew and how he was acting, “Bucky always told me that women liked it when men took control.” He flushed slightly, “You invited me back to your apartment, stared at me like I was something good to eat, then touched me. It’s been a long time since I laid with a woman. Since before they deployed me to Germany. I just… I thought that maybe…”

I reached over and laid my hand on top of his, “It’s okay, Steve.” I squeezed and pulled my hand back to my lap, “I did promise to tell you everything. And honestly, under any normal circumstance, I would push you down on the bed and have my way with you. Just having you sitting this close to me is enough to make me all hot and bothered. But, you deserve to know the whole truth before making that kind of decision.”

I sighed and rubbed absently at the bruises forming on my wrists. Steve saw what I was doing and grabbed my arm. His fingers traced over the vivid red marks on my wrists, “What happened?”

I tried to pull my arm away, but he wouldn’t release it, “They just put the handcuffs on too tight, that’s all.”

“Shit,” he growled. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Steve,” I scooted closer so I could use my other hand and cup his cheek. “I chose to do this. I could have left you there by yourself. Do you know what would have happened then? You would have opened your eyes, seen the 1940s hospital room. You would have heard the baseball game playing that they didn’t even bother checking to see when it aired. Because you’ve already heard it, you know something is going on. So you break out, and run into the streets of New York City, see everything is different, and panic.”

His eyes met mine and he released my arm. I dropped both to my lap, “How do you know those things about my mother? Why do you have pictures of me and Bucky? Why…”

“Let me start at the beginning,” I interrupted. “You are the first person I’m telling this to, so please just try to believe me. But, since you are basically science fiction come to life, you should be able to at least try and believe me.” I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see his reaction, “It’s the year 2011. You’ve been on ice for 66 years. I’m not from this reality, nor from this year. I’m from the year 2019 and the reality I’m from, you are played by a famous actor in movies. I know your story because I’ve seen the movie about your life and transition from an asthmatic sickly boy from Brooklyn to the beefcake you are today.”

“Beefcake?”

“Sorry, I forgot what decade you’re from for a moment. Basically, it’s a big strong guy. Like you.” I opened my eyes and saw him looking at me. I flushed, “The reason I’m here… that’s a little harder to explain. There’s something that will happen in about seven years in this reality. Half of the population of Earth dies. Buc… A good majority of the friends you make between now and then die. Someone brought me to 2030 in your reality and told me that I was a catalyst for fixing the timeline. To make it never happen. That’s why I’m here.”

He took a deep breath, but continued to look at me, “It sounds made up.” My face fell and he quickly said, “But, given what happened to me, I can’t deny that it could possibly happen. If you’ve really seen a movie about my… transition, can you tell me something that no one would know?”

“You would get in fights all the time when you were younger. Every time they would knock you down, you would get up and say ‘I can do this all day.’ Bucky is your best friend. He fell off the train after a robot burst a hole in it. You tried to save him, but couldn’t. One of the things that Bucky said to you is, ‘I’m with you to the end of the line.’ And, you have a picture of Peggy Carter in your compass.”

“Alright, I believe you. At least, I believe that you know things about my life that no one should.” He gave me a small smile, “But as for the compass thing, that part isn’t true. Peggy Carter is… was a great dame, but I don’t have a picture of her hidden away. She and I were just really good friends, nothing more.”

“Nothing? Really?”

“Well,” he flushed a little. “She was gorgeous and we would flirt. But other than one kiss, we never had anything, not really."

"But there were the longing looks, the dress, her promising you a dance… the movies made it seem like you guys were in love. I mean, you pine for her for 12 years, never moving on."

"Did I love her? I don't know. I don't think so. Could I have loved her? Quite possibly. But we didn't get the chance to see where it would go. Will I miss her? It feels like I just saw her a few hours ago, so ask me that in a week or two.” He sighed, “I just can't see longing after her for that long. Even if we had been married back then, I would move on eventually. Any woman I marry would want what is best for me. She would want me to be happy, not long for a time that has long since passed." He took in my relieved expression, "You seem very happy about my answer."

"In the movie, they come up with a way to time travel and you go back in time to live life with Peggy. It seemed so out of character for you. You left your best friend behind. You left your new family behind. All for a woman you knew for a little more than a year."

"Unless I have a new best friend, Bucky is dead."

Should I tell him? I couldn't decide. I couldn't be certain of how he would react. But this happens to be one of the things that Dr. Strange told me needed to happen. Bringing Bucky in from HYDRA. So, I decided he should know, "Bucky's alive."

Steve started shaking his head, "No, he can't be. I watched him die. He fell off a train. There is no way…"

I placed a finger on his lips to stop him, "I swear to you, Bucky is alive. And before you say it's not possible again, you're still alive. You shouldn't be possible, but you are still here."

"Where is he?"

"That's the hard part to explain." I paused, twisting my hands together, "He was found by HYDRA. They did things to him that turned him into… It wasn't good, Steve. They did awful things to him. I don't know where he is right now, but I know where he'll be in three years."

"We have to find him," Steve stood and started walking to the door. "If HYDRA had him this whole time…"

I had to run after him to grab his arm before he opened my apartment door, "We will get him back, Steve. I have a plan." He looked at me expectantly. I sighed, "It's not the best plan, but I think it will work. The only person who will be in danger from him is me."

Steve frowned, "I'm not letting you put yourself in harm's way for…"

"You don't get a say," I walked back to the bed and sat down. Steve stayed standing by the door, "Look. If you want to leave, the door is right there. Or you can stay and I'll help you get acclimated to this new world. I am going to need to take you to Director Fury, the guy who was holding you because I promised I would. And I don't break my promises."

Steve joined me on the bed again, "You really think we can get Bucky back."

"In my reality, in the movies, you get him back. It takes a while, but you do get him back." I looked into his eyes and lifted my hand to his face. Letting my fingers trace his square jaw, "I promise you, Steve, I will get him back earlier than in the movies. I swear this to you."

He smiled, "Alright, I'll stay. Now, who's Director Fury?"


	12. Chapter 12

2011

I tried to think of how to explain Fury to him. How do you tell someone that a covert military organization wants them to work for them? But before I could say anything, there was a knock at my door. Steve stood quickly, his hands balling into fists. I placed my hand on his arm, “Let me see who it is before you rush to kick their ass.” I walked over to the door, “Who is it?”

“Bri, open this door,” Tony sounded irritated. “I know you’re in there. Happy dropped you off an hour ago. If you don’t open it in thirty seconds, I’ll break the door down. One… two…”

“It’s alright, Steve. I know him.” I pulled open the door and glowered at him, “Jesus, Tony. Calm the fuck down.” I turned to Steve, “And don’t you dare ‘language’ me. I’m old enough to cuss if I want to.”

Steve held up his hands, “No, ma’am. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Looking over, Tony saw Steve standing there and marched over to him. Poking him in the chest, he glared, “Who are you?”

I got between them, pushing Tony back a few steps, “Tony, this is Steve Rogers. Captain America. Remember, I told you about him. Steve, this is Tony Stark, Howard’s son.”

“You were supposed to wait for me to help,” he sounded angry, turning his glare to me. “You weren’t supposed to do this on your own. What if you had gotten hurt? What if…”

“Both of you, sit,” I said firmly. “Your manly posturing is giving me a headache.” While I waited for them to comply, I stood there with my arms crossed, tapping my foot. Steve sat on the bed, Tony at the table. I walked over to my purse and brought out the wallet, taking out the picture that I kept in there. The same picture that I seemed to show everyone. First, I showed it to Tony, “Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Well, Steve pre-transition anyway. Your father is the one who helped him become this.” I took it and handed it to Steve, “This is yours. The pictures, jacket, wallet… I found it all at a pawn shop.”

Steve touched the picture, “We were so young.”

“That’s all fine and dandy, kiddo,” Tony said, clearly irritated. “But why in the hell didn’t you call me? I would have helped you.”

I sat down in the other chair, “I didn’t show you that picture to distract you. I showed it to you so you would understand why I did it. Everything I’m doing is partly because of Bucky and Steve.”

“Bri,” Tony sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I get that you…”

“No, you don’t understand. This was something I needed to do, Tony. I know you could have helped, but I needed stealth for this mission, not brute force. Iron Man is a little conspicuous. Besides, Fury caught me. What would have happened if he had caught you too? He already has problems with you being a part of the Avengers, no matter how useful you are.”

“Stark,” Steve said. “Look at her wrists.”

Tony grabbed my arm, rubbing gently at the bruises. His face turned dark as his eyes narrowed, “That fucker, I’m going to kill him.”

I laid my other hand over him, looking over, “Gee, thanks, Steve.” Turning my attention back to Tony, I said, “It’s not that bad. They just made the cuffs a little tight.”

“He did this on purpose,” Tony growled. “He didn’t have to be an asshole, but now…” He stood, “I’m going to kill him.”

Steve stood as well, a smile on his face, “I’ll hold him down.”

“Guys, calm down,” I laughed. They both looked at me like I was nuts, “It’s just a bruise. Come on, it’s not like he tortured me. If I hadn’t struggled against them, I wouldn’t have bruises. Plus, I bruise easily. These will be gone in a couple of days. Now, sit your asses back down.”

“Does she always speak to people this way?” Steve asked.

“Every damn day,” Tony smiled. “It’s what I admire most about her.”

They both sat back down. I sighed, “I’m sorry I didn’t at least tell you what I was planning. But I did have some help, Natasha told me the layout and gave me access. It wasn’t that hard. I would have thought there would be more guards. But it’s almost like they let me take him.”

“Do you think…”

“No,” I stopped Tony before he finished that question. “They wouldn’t have let him disappear. Plus, Fury and Coulson weren’t too happy. But, Coulson had to deal with the hammer, so he knew I actually know things. And I told Fury how he hurt his eye, so…”

“How did he hurt his eye?” Tony’s eyes twinkled. Steve just looked confused.

“I want to tell you, Tony. But I have a feeling that one day I’ll need to use it against him. When that day comes, no one else can know or it makes it not a good threat.”

“I understand.” Tony stood and walked over to Steve, holding his hand out for a handshake, “Nice to meet you, Rogers. Be nice to the kiddo, she means a lot to me. If you hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

“I have no plans to hurt Brianna, Stark.” Steve stood as well. His eyes drifted over to me and he smiled, “In fact, quite the opposite.”

Tony looked between me and Steve, causing me to flush, “Well, just remember, no glove no love.” He chuckled and headed for the door, “Don’t forget we’re working on your hand zappers tomorrow.”

“I might have to cancel. Fury wants to see Steve.”

“Well, bring him with you. We can work on it in the afternoon.”

After Tony left, I stood and walked over to the bed where Steve sat. Sitting next to him, I let my leg rest against his. He looked at me, questions evident in his gaze. I flushed under the scrutiny. Reaching up, I cupped his cheek with my palm, “I want to try something.”

“What?” his voice came out hoarse and low.

I reached up with my other hand, pulling his face down to mine. “This,” my lips met his. For a brief moment, the kiss stayed chaste, but then he took control, his mouth devouring mine. It felt right like this was where I was supposed to be. In his arms, with his mouth on mine.

When he pushed me back onto the bed and situated himself between my legs, I moaned. His cock felt hard and thick through the thin material of his sweatpants and my leggings. He kissed me again, his hands roaming up and down my body. One hand slipped between us and fingers brushed against my pussy. I stilled and pulled back slightly. 

His mouth moved to my neck as his fingers rubbed my clit. I moaned again, “Fuck.” My voice came out huskier than normal. I tried to push him up, but he was too strong, “Steve, we have to stop.” I don’t think he heard me, so I tried again, speaking louder, “Steve, we can’t do this.”

He stilled above me. Carefully, he moved his hand and pushed himself up enough that I couldn’t feel him pressed against me. His face remained buried in my neck, “I’m sorry.”

I turned his head so I could see his face. He looked disgusted with himself, “Why? You have nothing to be sorry for.” I traced a finger down his cheek, “I started it.”

“I mauled you. You didn’t want this, and…”

I moved my finger to his lips, “I know you could feel how wet I am, Steve. I want this, more than you know. I just…” Pausing, I lifted my head and kissed him softly, “Maybe we should sit up for this.”

Steve rolled off me and onto his back. I could see his massive erection tenting the sweats and I couldn’t help but stare. He sat up and put a pillow over his lap, flushing, “Sorry.”

Sitting up too, I rested my hand on his knee, squeezing lightly, “Seriously, don’t be sorry. I’m just as turned on, you just can’t see it.” Smiling, I said, “I stopped you for two reasons. One, you just found out that you lost Peggy and are sixty-six years in the future. I know you say you didn’t have much with her, but I don’t want to be a replacement for what you lost.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off, “The second reason is that we don’t know one another. I want to get to know you, Steve. We’re going to be in each other's life for at least the next several years. I would rather just have you as a friend than to screw everything up by having sex with you simply to satisfy a need or a curiosity.”

“I understand,” he nodded, then sighed. “I let my hormones get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”

Steve stood, his back to me. I could tell from his rigid posture how tense he was, so I stood and walked over to him, placing my hand on his back, “I know that you always think everything is your fault, but this isn’t. I didn’t make you stop because I didn’t want to have sex with you. I made you stop because I do.”

He turned around and looked down at me, “I don’t understand.”

“I would like nothing more than to feel you thrusting between my legs. But try to understand, I don’t want to be a filler. I don’t want to be someone that makes you feel better until something else comes along. I don’t do casual, Steve. If we do this, I want it to be because we care about one another.”

Finally, he smiled, “Alright. I’m going to take care of… Give me ten minutes to hop in the shower.” He placed a gentle kiss on my lips, “You still haven’t told me about Fury yet. I’ll be expecting information when I come out.”

While he took another shower, I changed my clothes and set a text to Natasha.

**ME: I got him out. Thank you.**

**_NATASHA: I heard. Fury is beyond pissed at you. Doesn’t know how you did it. When you wouldn’t give him anything, he called me in to find and interrogate you._ **

**ME: And…**

**_NATASHA: I told him I didn’t know where you lived, which isn’t a complete lie. Also, I wasn’t going to torture Tony just to get the address. But if you don’t bring Steve in as you promised, I will have to come and find you. I won’t have a choice._ **

**ME: Don’t worry. I plan to bring him in tomorrow. I can’t imagine a scenario where he won’t want to talk with Fury.**

Steve came out of the bathroom, his hair wet. He had put the same clothes back on, but he seemed more relaxed than when he went in. I sent one more text.

**ME: Thanks again for all the help.**

**_NATASHA: Remember, I want an invite to the wedding._ **

I smiled at my phone before looking up at Steve. He gave me this soft look, then sat down next to me on the bed. “So, you want to know about Fury?”

“Yes, please.”

“Fury is the director of SHIELD. I don’t know what SHIELD stands for, but it’s basically a covert unit of the military.” I kept my face impassive, “Peggy is actually the one who founded it. Deep down, Fury is a good guy. He just wants to keep people and the Earth safe from harm. So I can’t fault him for that. He just… sometimes, he goes about things in a way that makes him seem a little bit like an asshole. But everything he does, everything he stands for… it’s the same thing you stand for, Steve. I think you would be a perfect addition to the Avengers initiative. And you would have said yes, even without me telling you all this.”

“When do I meet him?”

“Would you feel up to doing it tomorrow?” I gave him a questioning look, “I know it’s soon, but I kind of promised I would do it within twenty-four hours after breaking you out.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to make you break a promise.” When I let out a sigh of relief, he chuckled, “But only if you come with me. I won’t meet him without you. After the way he treated you, I might just hit him.”

“We should probably get you something to wear first.” I looked down at his feet, “And maybe some shoes too.”


	13. Chapter 13

2011 

As I woke, a warmth at my back startled me. I forgot momentarily that I had rescued Steve yesterday, so feeling a body pressed against my back freaked me out. I pulled away, turning over. When Steve smiled at me, I melted. His hand came to my face, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear, “Good morning.”

“Morning.” I laid there, staring into his blue eyes for far longer than I should have. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes, “We should probably get started for the day.”

Steve rolled to his back, stretching. My eyes watched as his shirt crept up, showing off just a smidgen of his stomach. He grinned, sitting up, “You know, we could always make Fury wait for a while.” He moved closer to me, “I don’t think he would mind. I am Captain America after all.”

Placing my hand on his chest, I pushed him back slightly, “Remember what we talked about, Steve.” I frowned, “I want you, but not like this.”

I grabbed clothes out of my drawer and went into the bathroom to change. When I came out, Steve was back in the khakis and white shirt he wore in the facility, his feet bare. I grabbed the jacket, putting it on. His eyes went wide, “I forgot you had that.”

“You want it back? It won’t fit.”

“No, it looks better on you than it ever did on me.” He gave me a soft smile, “You sure it will be cold enough for that?”

“It’s fall in New York. I’ll need it eventually.”

We took a cab to a department store. The salesperson didn’t want to let him inside without shoes on, but I forced myself to tear up and told some sob story about him being mugged and not having another pair. It didn’t take long to get him some shoes, a pair of jeans that fit him like a glove, a shirt, and a jacket. I paid for everything, having to remind him that he currently didn’t have anything. I guess growing up in the 1930s, he had been used to men being the providers.

The cab dropped us off at the gate to the military base Fury had taken me yesterday. I walked up to the guard shack, “Brianna Mayfield and Steve Rogers to see Nick Fury.”

“ID, please.”

I handed him mine, “Steve doesn’t have one.”

The guard gave it back, then went into the guard shack to talk into his radio. Steve stepped beside me, his hand on my back. He absently rubbed circles, trying to calm me down. This whole situation made me anxious. I knew it had to happen in order for the future to have the right timeline, but being at the military base again made me extremely uncomfortable. As the guard talked, he kept looking back at me, his eyes narrow. I didn’t recognize him, so at least I knew he couldn’t be one of the main villains in the movies.

Finally, he came out, “Go on in.” He pointed to a large building about two hundred yards in, “Fury and Coulson are in there, waiting for you.”

We walked in silence to the building. I felt fairly certain that Steve felt at home here. He stood a little straighter, nodding his head to the soldiers we passed. When he crashed the ship, he had still been a captain in the army. He would be used to saluting and having people salute to him. So, his finding comfort in the military wasn’t surprising.

Once inside, I saw Fury standing there, an irritated look on his face. I walked over, “Fury.”

Steve stood beside me. I could feel the tension radiating off him. When Fury stuck out his hand, Steve ignored it, “You’re the one who hurt Brianna.”

“Steve, it’s fine,” I pulled down the coat sleeves to hide the bruises.

“No, Brianna, it’s not,” he glared at Fury. “Why should I work for someone who treats women this way? If you don’t treat people with respect, then why should I join this agency that supposedly is only concerned with the fate of the world and the people in it?”

I sighed and placed a hand on his forearm, trying to diffuse his anger, “You wanted to talk, Fury. I brought him here so you could get him to join your initiative, just like you asked me to. So, let’s talk.”

Fury crossed his arms over his chest, “Just Captain Rogers. Sorry, Miss Mayfield, but I don’t need you around to cloud his judgment.”

“You stupid little…” I growled, my hands balling into fists, “I only told him good things, you arrogant prick. But you want to talk to him alone. Fine. Talk to him alone.”

I started to move away when Steve grabbed my arm, “Not without Brianna.”

“Sorry, Rogers, that’s not how this works.” Fury kept his face impassive, but I could hear the irritation in his voice, “She’s nothing. Not a hero, just a girl. In fact, she is lucky I don’t have her thrown in jail for breaking into a military installation. Because I could.”

“Steve, it’s fine.” I pulled him off to the side, saying softly, “Just go talk to him. Hear him out. He’s right, I am just a girl. I’m not anyone important.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed, “Brianna…”

“No, Steve.”  I pushed him toward Fury and sat down in one of the chairs outside the room, “Be nice to him, Nick. Try to remember I know more about you than you do about me.”

It took about an hour before they came back out of that room. Steve and Fury both looked calmer than they had when they went in. Smiles on both their faces. Steve had a manilla envelope in his hands. They shook hands and he gave me a smile, “Ready to go?”

I looked between Fury and Steve, confused, “Sure.” We left the building, “So…”

“Apparently, I am owed quite a bit of back pay from my time in the military. Also, Fury got me an apartment, so I have a place of my own.”

I frowned. While I knew it wasn’t really fair of me, I had hoped he would stay with me, “That’s good.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“I am, it’s just…” How do I put into words what was running through my brain? “Nevermind, Steve. Let’s go take you to your apartment.”

I dropped him off on the way to Tony’s house. The apartment was much larger than mine. It actually had a fully functional kitchen, as well as a dedicated bedroom. I tried to contain my sadness at the fact that he would be so far away, but at least it took away temptation. Now, we could actually get to know one another without having to worry about the small space pushing us too close together too quickly.

At Tony’s, I fiddled with the hand shockers. Looking up at him, I sighed, “Tony, can you promise me something?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

“Next year, Coulson is going to come to you asking for help. When he asks you to come with him, please take me with you.”

He stopped what he was doing, looking up at me, “Why?”

“Just promise me.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t question me further. I rarely asked him for anything though, so he just nodded, “Alright, I promise.”

2012 

“Come on, kiddo,” Tony’s voice called from the other side of my apartment door. “We’ve got thirty minutes to get to the plane before it leaves without us.”

I opened the door, wearing only my sleep shirt, “What?”

He looked down at me, “Didn’t you get my text?”

“Tony, it’s seven in the morning. You literally just woke me up,” I sighed and let him into the apartment. “What’s going on?”

“Coulson asked me to come. Said he needs the people from the Avengers initiative for a mission.” He pushed in and went to my bed, pulling out a pair of jeans and a shirt. Grabbing my purse, he tossed them in, as well as my sneakers. Pushing it into my hands, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the apartment, “You can get changed in the car.”

We didn’t run into anyone on the way downstairs, for which I was thankful. Happy gave me a sympathetic look, knowing how obstinate Tony can be. I climbed in the car first and started putting on my clothes, “Really, Tony? You couldn’t have given me five minutes to get dressed?”

“Hey, you’re the one that said you wanted to come,” he grinned. “I could have left you behind. But I promised, and I always keep my promises.”

We made it to the military base where a futuristic plane waited. Tony didn’t even give them a chance to tell me I couldn’t come, he just shoved his way onto the plane and we sat down. The young pilots looked briefly like they wanted to argue, but the just sat at the front and we took off.

A relatively quick flight out to the ocean, and we landed on a carrier ship. I grinned as I stepped off the plane. Being on the carrier ship was too cool. People ran around us, strapping down planes and doing other various tasks. 

Natasha walked up to us, “Tony, Brianna.”

“Hey, Nat,” I grinned and looked around. “This is too awesome.”

Her eyes glinted with amusement, but she frowned slightly, “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“Well, too bad. I’m here. You guys need to know what you’re dealing with.” Another plane landed and I saw Steve get off, “You should go and take care of your guest.” I nodded in his direction.

“Do you want to come and say hi?”

Steve was talking to Bruce as I looked at him. His eyes met mine briefly and I nodded at him, “No, it’s okay. We haven’t really talked since the day he got his new apartment.” I had been busy with my work with Tony, and he… he had needed to figure things out. Six months later and I had come to the conclusion that he must be in love with Peggy and had lied to me. I couldn’t come up with another explanation for why he would ignore me otherwise.

Her eyes looked from him to me, questioningly, “Are you sure?” I just nodded so she went over to him and Bruce. They talked for a few minutes, then everyone came over.

I ignored Steve and looked at Bruce, “Dr. Banner, word is you can find the cube?”

He looked between me and Steve, confused. I knew they had just had this conversation, but I couldn’t help myself. “Is that the only word on me?”

“It’s the only word I care about.”

Steve grinned, “Are you done showing off your knowledge of events?” He knew what I had been doing, “I think they want us inside.”

“Knowledge of events?” Bruce looked at me, confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Bri here knows things,” Tony said as he patted my back. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

“I’m still confused,” Bruce looked from me to each of the guys in turn.

I sighed, “I don’t feel like showing off right now. Plus, other than the fact that you turn into an eight-foot-tall green guy, I don’t know much about you.”

“Guys, leave the girl alone,” Natasha came over, wrapping her arm around me. “Fury wants to see everyone.”

Inside, we all sat around a table after the guys had their fill of looking at the carrier. It had already taken flight and I had to keep myself from looking too excited. Fury hadn’t been happy to see me, but one look from Natasha and Tony and he quieted down.

Fury stood off to the side. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, “So, the Tesseract was stolen.” Everyone’s eyes turned to me. They all knew the basics, but they weren’t sure how I did, “Loki came here with the help of some creature. I don’t remember his name. He’s going to use the Tesseract to open a wormhole that will bring aliens to New York.”

“And we should believe you, why exactly?” Fury asked.

“Because you know I’m right.”

“So, if you knew about this Loki taking the Tesseract, why wouldn’t you tell us ahead of time?”

“Would you have believed me if I had?” I stood and backed away from the table, pacing as I talked. “You don’t like me, Fury. I can tell. But I know what’s going to happen, and if you want to stop it…”

“I think you’ve said enough, Miss Mayfield. Sit down.”

I walked back over to the table, putting my hands on it. I had to take several deep breaths in order to stop myself from yelling at him. Looking up, I glared at him, “You selfish asshole.”

“Excuse me?” Fury’s voice went deep and dangerous. “You’re lucky I didn’t make them take you off this ship the second I saw you here. You don’t belong.”

I stood up, my back rigid. Walking over, I stopped a few feet away from him. I didn’t even bother to hide the anger in my voice, “I gave up everything for you guys. Everything. My family, my friends… my timeline, even my fucking reality. Just so I could come here and stop billions from dying. And you can’t even be bothered to listen to me.”

A hand pressed against my back, “Fury, I think you should listen to Brianna.” I looked up and saw Steve, “She knew about the Tesseract, and I know that I didn’t tell her. I can’t imagine that Tony would have either.”

“What do you mean, you gave up your timeline and reality?” Fury’s voice softened slightly, but he still sounded angry.

“You know what, fuck off Fury. I don’t even know why I’m here anymore,” I turned and stalked away, leaving the room.

I could hear voices arguing from behind the closed door I had just left. Natasha came out of the room, an angry look on her face, “What did you mean in there?”

“Which part?” I sighed. “I want to tell you, Nat. I’m just not sure that you’ll believe me.”

She placed a hand on my arm, “You can tell me later. Right now, you need to go back in there and tell us what’s going on. We need to know how to stop whatever this is from happening.”

“Fury isn’t going to believe me,” I rubbed my eyes. Looking up at the ceiling, I willed myself not to cry in frustration, “What’s the point?”

“Tell him something he hasn’t shared with the rest of the group.”

“Fine, I’ll go back in.” We walked back into the room. Fury, Steve, and Tony looked irritated. Bruce just sat back, trying to ignore all of them, “What can I tell you that will convince you I know things? Is the fact that I know about Carol Danvers enough? The fact that she was here in 1995, or the fact that there was a whole Kree-Skrull skirmish here? What will it take for you to believe me?”

Fury’s eyes widened, “No one knows about that except…”

“You and Coulson, I know.” Sighing, I switched back to talking about the recent events, “Loki is going to be in Stuttgart, Germany. He has Hawkeye, they are there to get some compound. I don’t know everything, I’m sorry. Steve and Tony will capture him and bring him back here. But they will come for him, shooting one of the engines. Bruce freaks out, turning into the Hulk, which just makes things difficult.”

“Say I believe you,” Fury sat down. I think he was trying to put me at ease, putting himself lower than me, “What can we do to change it?”

“He carries a scepter. The wormhole generator that Selvig is building for him, it will have a force field around it generated by the Tesseract. The only thing that can pierce it is the scepter. That will allow us to close the wormhole.”

“I need you to tell me how you know all this. Are you working with them?” Fury said, leaning his arms on the table.

I laughed, “The last thing I would do is try to make things worse. What part of I gave up my entire life for you, did you not understand? I’m here to make things better, Nick. Isn’t that what you want?”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“You won’t believe me.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Fury, I know and I believe her,” Steve said.

“Wait, what?” Tony glared at me. “You told Capsicle, but you won’t tell me? I’m hurt.”

“You believed me because I knew things. Besides, you probably won’t believe me either.” Looking at him I tried to smile, but failed, “I’m sorry.”

“This is touching, but we still have a problem that needs to be taken care of.” Fury stood, “Steve, we’ve got a suit for you. You and Tony will go to Stuttgart.”

“I should go too,” I said.

Fury glared, “Hell no. You can’t go.”

“I don’t want to go to Stuttgart. I want to be on the plane that picks them up to bring them back here.” I shrugged, “That’s it. I promise.”

“Why?” he looked at me suspiciously. I just shook my head, “Fine.”


	14. Chapter 14

2012 

Several hours later, I stood on the plane, pacing back and forth. I knew that they would both be fine, but I still couldn’t help but be worried. Natasha smiled and lowered the ramp. Tony and Steve came up, each of them holding one of Loki’s arms.

The put him down on a chair and I walked over to him, “Loki. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His eyes looked me up and down, “Do I know you?”

“Nope, but I know you.” I crouched in front of him so I could look into his eyes, “Son of Odin, brother of Thor.”

“Brianna,” Steve started to say.

I held up my hand, “You are not a bad guy, Loki, not really. You can stop this madness before it starts.”

His eyes flashed, mouth widening in a crazy grin, “You don’t know me at all. I’m doing this because I want to, nothing more.”

I reached up, grabbed his chin and turned his head from side to side. There had been a fan theory that Loki had been mind-controlled by Thanos, forced to do these things. His eyes looked wild. I stood back up and walked over to Steve, “Where’s the scepter?”

He nodded to a case on the floor, “Right there.”

I knelt on the floor and opened the case, letting my fingers touch the metal of the scepter. The stone at the top glowed brightly, “We can’t let SHIELD keep this.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do with it?”

“I don’t know.” I shut the case and stood, leaning closer to Steve so no one else would overhear, “There’s a reason they can’t have it. I want to tell you, Steve, I do. But I can’t, not yet. I just need you to believe me.”

His hand came up, cupping the side of my face. I smiled as his gaze softened, “I believe you, Brianna. We’ll figure it out later. But right now we need to get back to the helicarrier.”

Lightning lit up the interior of the ship. Natasha said, “Where is this coming from?”

Loki looked around, his unease evident. Steve looked over at him, “What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?”

“I’m not overly fond of what follows,” he said.

“Fuck,” I took a step away from Steve. “I’m going to try and stop this.”

“Stop what?” Tony looked from me to Loki. “It’s just lightning.”

A loud thud came from the top of the plane, so Tony put on his helmet and opened the ramp. “What are you doing?” Steve yelled.

Thor took a step onto the plane and I ran forward, yelling, “Thor, son of Odin.” He looked at me, then hit Tony in the chest with his hammer. I yelled again, “Thor, stop. I need to talk to you.”

He reached for Loki and I got between them. “Move out of my way, little girl,” Thor’s voice was deep and menacing. “I’m here for…”

“Your brother, I know.” When Thor lifted the hammer up, I grasped the handle so he wouldn’t go any further. Thor just looked at me, confused. I said softly, “Please, Thor. If you don’t like what I have to say, you can take him after. Just please, listen to me.”

I let go of the hammer but stayed in between the two brothers. Steve moved closer to us and I held up my hand to stop him. Thor lowered the hammer to his side, “You have my attention.”

“I know Loki is your brother. You are both sons of Odin.”

“How is this supposed to convince me to…”

“Just give me a second, Thor.” I sighed. Turning, I forced Loki to sit again, then I pushed Thor back a couple of steps, “Sorry, you were crowding me. Loki is being controlled. This isn’t really his fault. You take him off this plane, these two over here,” I pointed to Steve and Tony, “are going to jump off the plane to fight you. No one wins, and no one loses. You end up agreeing to take Loki back to the helicarrier as we had originally planned.”

“You still haven’t given me a reason, little one,” he raised up his hammer again. Instinctively, I grabbed the handle to stop him from using it, not noticing when he had let go of it. Thor’s eyes went wide, “How are you…” His eyes dropped to my hand.

Mine did as well. When I saw that I was holding the hammer, I immediately handed it back, my heart pounding. Taking a step back, I bumped into Loki’s legs and almost fell, “I don’t understand.”

“Little one, I do not know how, but you are worthy.” He lowered the hammer, nodding at me slightly, “I will do as you ask. We shall go to this helicarrier you speak of.”

I nodded to Tony and he shut the ramp. I sat down on a seat opposite Loki, resting my head in my hands. Tony and Steve started talking in low voices to one another, while I sat there, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. The only other person that had been worthy of wielding Mjolnir was Steve. 

From comic lore, Mjolnir doesn’t choose people, not really. Otherwise, there would be a lot more who could hold the hammer. But lore states that the hammer can only be wielded by someone who would be both an asset and loyal to Asgard. Someone who will do anything to protect Asgard. Someone who fights for a cause higher than themselves.

The plane touched down on the helicarrier and a hand rested on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Steve staring down at me. I laid my hand over his, not bothering to hide the fact that my hand was shaking. His gaze turned questioning, “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” I stood and walked down the ramp and onto the helicarrier. I raised my face to the sky, looking at the stars. Taking a few deep breaths, I did my best to calm down. A warmth at my side had me turning. I saw Steve standing there, looking up at the sky as well.

He looked down at me and smiled, “We need to talk after this, Brianna.” He turned to me, reached up and trailed his fingers down my cheek, “I want to explain why I haven’t…”

“Come on, you guys,” Natasha stepped close. She held the case with the scepter, “We need to get inside and get Loki locked up. If you’re right, we need to strategize for when they come to collect him.”

She walked away, followed by Thor holding a smiling Loki. Tony looked at us, then followed her as well. I looked at Steve, “You’re right, we need to talk. But right now, we need to go inside.” I stood on my toes and placed a light kiss on his lips, feeling better when I saw him smile.

We sat around the table again, Steve looked tired, “Loki is going to drag this out. So, Thor, what’s his play?”

Thor stood at the head of the table, arms crossed over his chest, “He has an army called the Chitauri. They’re not of Asgard, nor any world known.” He walked over to the table, “He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.”

“Um, if I can interject,” all eyes turned to me. “That’s partially correct.”

“What do you mean, little one?” Thor gazed at me, “Loki is always pulling some trick or another. Him taking over Earth is just another grab for power.”

“Look, I can’t explain how I know, but Loki isn’t in full control of his actions. The scepter,” I paused, not wanting to give too much away. You never know who could be listening in, when HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD to the highest levels.

“Wait,” Steve looked at Thor. “An army… from outer space?”

“So, he’s building another portal,” Bruce added.

“This is what I told you guys earlier.” I stood and started pacing, back and forth, “Selvig is unwillingly helping him. The scepter is controlling him.”

“I want to know why Loki let us take him. He’s not leading an army from here.” Steve turned to me, “Thoughts?”

I sighed, “I don’t know.”

“I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki,” Bruce said as we all turned to him. “That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him.”

“Have care how you speak,” Thor said. “Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother.”

“He killed eighty people in two days,” Natasha added.

“He’s adopted.”

“Guys, we need to be on the same team here,” I gestured outward in frustration. “We can’t fight over this. I don’t know how much time we have until they come for him.”

“Little one, I understand your frustration. But Loki cannot be reasoned with. His only plan is to grab power where he can take it.”

I rested my hands on the table and glared at Thor, “Yeah, well maybe if Odin hadn’t raised him to believe the Frost Giants were all evil when he was one. Teaching a child to believe that he is evil, that is the worst thing I can imagine.”

“My father…”

“Had his reasons?” I stood up straight, “It doesn’t matter. The damage is already done. But Loki is not as evil as you are making him out to be. He is being controlled by…” I stopped, not wanting to tell them about Thanos, not just yet.

Bruce moved closer to the table, “Not to interrupt this riveting discussion, but I think it’s about the mechanics. What do they need the iridium for?”

Tony walked into the room with Coulson. I hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t there, “It’s a stabilizing agent. It means, the portal won’t collapse on itself, as it did at SHIELD. Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants.”

“Goddammit,” I slammed my hand down on the glass tabletop. A crack sounded and I backed up, shocked to see hairline fractures where I had hit my fist to the table, “Can you and Bruce please stop trying to out genius one another for five minutes?” I sighed and walked away from the now cracked table. Rubbing my fist, I looked at the people in the room, “I know where the Tesseract is going to be. But Bruce and Tony can corroborate that by putting their brains together. We can stop the invasion if we just work together.”

“Sorry, kiddo, I don’t think it’s that simple.” Tony looked at Bruce, “It’s good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster.”

“Thanks, I think,” Bruce looked confused.

Fury walked in, “Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping that you would help him.”

“I’d start with the scepter,” Steve said. “It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.”

“I don’t know about that,” Fury said, “but it is powered by the cube.” I let out a huge sigh and Fury turned to me, “I’m sorry, Miss Mayfield. Are we boring you?”

I glared at him, “No, not at all. I’m just tired of being around idiots who are dancing to the tune that Loki and… That they’ve laid out for you. You’re playing right into their hands and you don’t even realize it.”

“Well, I would like to know how Loki used the scepter to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys,” Fury ignored me. Not even looking my way.

“Monkeys?” Thor asked. “I do not understand.”

“I do.” We all looked at Steve, “I understood that reference.”

I started to laugh, bending over at the waist. It’s not every day you hear a meme in real life. When I came back up for air, Bruce and Tony had left to go to the lab, Steve and Thor were the only ones left. Both stared at me, confusion evident on their faces. I flushed, “Sorry, it’s just something you said. I never actually expected to hear it come out of your mouth.”

Thor moved away and Steve stood, walking over to me. He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, “You are really beautiful.”

I flushed, “Thanks.” His thumb grazed my bottom lip and my mouth fell open, a soft moan escaping, “What are you doing?”

“Hush,” he stepped closer, moved his hand behind my head and lowered his mouth onto mine. The kiss was soft, his tongue gently caressing mine. “I’ve been wanting to do that again since the day I met you.”

“Then why…”

“After this is all over, Brianna.” He started to walk toward the lab, “Let’s see what Stark and Banner are up to.”

We saw Tony poke him with an electric stick, then look at him intently. Steve rushed in and yelled, “Hey, are you nuts?”

“Jury’s out,” Tony said sarcastically. “You really have got a lid on it, haven’t you? What’s your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed...”

“Is everything a joke to you?”

“Mother fucker,” I stepped between them. “I’m not watching this play out again. So both of you, shut the fuck up before I make you.”

They both turned to me and said simultaneously, “Language.”

I turned to Tony, “Coming from you that’s rich. You’ve said worse.” I turned to Steve, “And you said you would never do that to me. I’m not some dainty little housewife from the 1930s you can boss around, Steve. I will never be that. I’m a strong independent woman who…”

“Yes, we all saw that when you cracked the table,” Bruce said, chuckling slightly.

I closed my eyes, counting to ten as I breathed in and out, “Steve, I know you’re going to say that threatening the safety of the people on this ship isn’t funny. Remember, I know what’s going to happen. I also know Bruce’s secret.”

Bruce looked up at me, “Excuse me?”

“It’s not important. The important thing right now is what SHIELD wants to use the cube for.”

After explaining a little bit, Steve went off to find what he wanted. Bruce and Tony looked at me. Sighing, Tony took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, “You sure you should have done that, Bri?”

“Steve needed something to take his mind off you being a dick to Bruce.” I sat in a chair, “Just go back to looking into what SHIELD wants with the Tesseract. You need to hack into the system.”

Fury came in several minutes later, “How’s it going?”

“We’ve almost figured it out,” Tony said, his fingers danced over the screen.

Steve walked in, dropping a large gun on the table, “SHIELD is going to use the cube to make weapons.”

Fury held up a hand, “Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we’re making…”

“I’m sorry, Nick,” Tony said as he turned the screen around. “What were you saying?”

“I was wrong, director. The world hasn’t changed a bit,” Steve said as Thor and Natasha entered the room.

Bruce looked at Natasha, “Did you know about this?”

“You should think about removing yourself from this situation, doctor,” she said calmly.

“I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed.”

“Guys,” I said as they started arguing about what SHIELD was or was not planning on doing with the cube. They ignored me. I spoke louder, “Guys!”

The stopped arguing and turned to me. I looked at each of them in turn, “What part of we need to work together do you not understand?” I glanced at the scepter and I realized what was going on, “The scepter is turning us against one another.”

Bruce looked at us, “What are we, a team? No, we’re a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We’re a time bomb.”

Fury turned around, looking at Bruce, “You need to step away.”

“Why shouldn’t the guy let off a little steam?” Tony asked as he put his hand on Steve’s shoulder.

Steve knocked Tony’s hand off his shoulder, “You know damn well why. Back off!”

“I'm starting to want you to make me.”

“Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

“Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” Tony said.

Steve glared at him, “I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I’ve seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

I looked around and picked up some heavy piece of metal, throwing it to the ground. As it clanged, they turned to look at me, “Steve, I know you jumped on a grenade in basic, but Tony is a better man than you think. Or at least, he will be.”

They glared at each other again and I stepped between them, forcing them apart with all my strength. They both went several steps back, turning to look at me. “Bri, how did you…” Tony started to say before I held up a hand.

“Any second now, there is going to be an attack on this ship. You guys need to work together.” I could feel myself getting stressed. A tear rolled down my cheek, “Please.”

Steve sighed, “Brianna is right.” He turned to Tony, “I’m sorry, that was uncouth of me.”

“You’re right, you were being an ass,” Tony grinned. When I glared at him, he lowered his gaze sheepishly, “I’m sorry too. We were both being assholes.”

Walking over to me, Steve placed a hand on my lower back, “I just felt this… anger.”

“Like I said, the scepter is causing this.” I leaned against his hand, the contact calming me down, “Just… I need you guys to try and fight it. Try to stay calm and stay together. Please.”

The group nodded as Steve rubbed my back. He said, “Let’s just get back to work tracking the Tesseract.”


	15. Chapter 15

2012 

“Oh my god,” Bruce said, looking up from his computer. He had just seen that the Tesseract was close by the helicarrier.

As he looked at us, a large explosion rocked the ship. It went through the vents and into the lab, blowing us all back. Natasha and Bruce had fallen through the floor. Steve looked at Tony, “Put on the suit.” As Tony left to do that, he rushed over to me, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” I wiped my face, grimacing when I saw blood on my hand, “Go, Steve. You need to get that engine started again.”

He took off, following Tony. I looked around, seeing no one else in the lab. Carefully, I stood, trying not to wince in pain. Apparently, the ring didn’t do anything to lessen the amount of pain I feel from being thrown across the room. As I stood there, I moved from side to side, trying to stretch out a little bit.

An alarm started going off, making my headache worse. When I moved around the room, I realized there happened to be a distinct possibility that I was going to be black and blue all over. Everything hurt. Slowly, I went back over to where the scepter had been. The table had been in the way of the blast as well, so it got knocked over. I saw it off to the side and went over to it.

The black case for the scepter poked out from underneath pieces of the wall. I bent and grabbed it, groaning as I stood. “Fuck,” I used my feet near the table, trying to find the scepter. I really didn’t want Loki to get it again.

After several minutes of searching, I found it underneath some debris. As I put it into the case, I heard a loud roar coming from beneath me. The Hulk must have come out. I hoped that Natasha could hold her own against him as well as she did in the movie. At least I knew she would have Thor to help her.

I put the scepter into the case and hobbled out of the lab, trying to find somewhere to hide until Loki was off the ship. I heard a voice over the loudspeaker, “We’ve got a perimeter breach. Hostiles are in SHIELD gear. Callouts at every junction.”

Several people ran past me. I moved to the side, hoping the would ignore me. One of them stopped, “Ma’am, you need to get to a secure location.”

“I’m trying,” I looked at the rank on his arm, “sergeant. But it would be easier if I had a weapon.”

The young sergeant looked at me, then at the large gun in his hand. He reached for the gun on his waist and handed it to me, “I assume you know how to use this.” I nodded, “Good, now get to a secure location. We have hostiles on board.”

He took off and I chambered a round in the gun. I hadn’t shot a gun since I was a teenager at the gun range with my father, but I knew the basics. If nothing else, it made me feel more secure to have some firepower on me. As I made my way down the hall, the sound of the engines cut out and the ship started to tilt to the side.

I slid to one side, saw an open door, and went in. It was someone's room. Two sets of bunk beds lined the walls, but I was alone. I sat on the bed, holding the case against my chest. I couldn’t let Loki get the scepter. He was already too powerful.

When I heard the engines come back online, I knew it was over. Tony and Steve had managed to restart the damaged engine, and Loki would be on a plane headed to New York. Still, I waited several more minutes until the alarm had turned off.

Once it did, I hobbled out of the room, the case in one hand, the gun in the other. I moved to where I knew the others would be eventually. The conference room. I sat down at the table near the cracks I had put in it only hours earlier. Resting my head on the glass, I closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep because a hand on my back startled me. I lifted the gun, pointing at the offender. Just as quickly I lowered it, placed it on the table, and stood. Wrapping my arms around the waist of the guy who had woken me up, “Steve, you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I am,” one hand rubbed my back while the other ran through my hair.

“I mean, I thought you would be, but…” I started to cry. The stress of the day, not to mention the pain radiating throughout my entire body, overwhelmed me. When I heard footsteps enter the room, I looked up and saw Tony. I released Steve and went over to him, wrapping my arms around him as well.

Tony rubbed my back, “Shh, kiddo. It’s okay. We’re both okay.”

“I was so scared, Tony.” I pulled away. Reaching up, I wiped the dirt from his face, “For both of you guys. I could have lost you.”

Sitting down, I left the gun on the table but picked up the case putting it on my lap. Steve and Tony sat down on either side of me. They weren’t looking at one another. I knew that they didn’t agree philosophically on how to be a hero, but they were two of the best men I knew. Deep down, I hoped they would realize sooner, rather than later, that we were all better off together.

Fury came in, throwing some blood covered cards onto the table, “These were in Phil Coulson’s jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them.” Fury sighed, “We’re dead in the air up here. Communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor… I got nothing for you.” He leaned heavily on the table as Steve picked up the cards, “Lost my one good eye.”

Fury started walking around the table, the tension thick in the air, “Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier.” He paused. Both Steve and Tony looked somber, but my full attention was on Fury. This speech is the only thing he had done so far to endear himself to me, “There was an idea, Stark knows this. Called the Avengers initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could.”

He stepped around the table, standing behind my chair, his hands on the back of my seat. I looked down at the case as he talked, “Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes.” Tony stood up and walked out of the room, “Well, it’s an old-fashioned notion.” Fury left the room as well, apparently not having noticed the case in my arms.

Steve stared down at the cards. I could have told him that they came from Coulson’s locker, that everything was a charade. But I didn’t. I knew that both Tony and Steve needed this push to work together. That they needed to band together over the loss of Coulson. He stood and left the room as well, leaving me sitting there alone.

I knew where they would be. In the chamber where Thor had been shot out of the ship, where Coulson had lost his life. The only thing I had managed to change was Loki getting the scepter. Everything else was happening exactly as it did in the movie.

Tears streamed down my face for the man I couldn’t save. If only I had managed to convince them to listen to me sooner, maybe I could have altered events enough that he would still be alive. I knew in my head that it wasn’t all my fault, but my heart didn’t know that. My heart wept for the man I didn’t get a chance to know.

Standing, I headed to where my men would be. Maybe I could help. I entered the room to hear Steve ask, “Is this the first time you’ve lost a soldier?”

Tony turned back to him, his voice thick with anger, “We are not soldiers. I’m not marching to Fury’s fife.”

“Neither am I,” Steve said. “He’s got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now, we’ve got to put that behind us and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list…”

“He made it personal.”

“That’s not the point.”

Tony stopped him, “That is the point. That’s Loki’s point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?”

I spoke up, “To tear us apart.” The boys turned to look at me, “Hey.”

Smiling slightly, Tony turned back to Steve, “Divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That’s what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience.”

“And he’s going to lose,” I said as I walked over to them. “But it will still turn public opinion both for and against you guys. For, because you save New York from an alien invasion. Against, because New York takes a lot of damage in the process.” I set the case down so I could put the gun into the back of my pants. Walking over to them, I placed a hand on each of their chests, “You guys are both heroes. Be the men, the leaders, the heroes I know you can be. We need to work together.”

Tony looked over at where I had been standing, “Bri, what’s that?”

I walked back over and picked it up, “Um… nothing.” I smiled awkwardly.

“Brianna,” Steve’s voice came out low. “What did you do?”

“I kind of… I hid the scepter so Loki wouldn’t get it.” I held the case to my chest, scared they would take it from me, “It’s the only way to stop the wormhole generator. If Loki got it, we would have to get it away from him first.”

“Does Fury know?”

“No,” I shook my head, taking a few steps back from both of them. I trusted them with my life, but I wasn’t sure that I trusted them to not give the scepter back to SHIELD. “I don’t want him to, either.”

Tony looked contemplative as if a thousand thoughts were racing through his brain at once, “Loki, he’s a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered…” He paused and started out of the room, “Son of a bitch.”

“Tony,” Steve said. But he had left the room before Steve could talk. He turned to me, “What just happened?”

“He figured out where the Tesseract is going to be,” I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room. “It’s going to be at Stark Tower.”

“We need to get everyone else.” He dragged me toward Natasha’s room. Her door opened and she looked at both of us, “Time to go.”

“Go where?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you on the way,” he said. “Can you fly one of those jets?”

Clint came out of the bathroom, “I can.” He looked at me, “And you are?”

I walked over and stuck out my hand for him to shake, “Brianna Mayfield, ordinary girl. Nice to meet you, Clint.”

His eyes widened slightly, “How…”

“We’ll explain later,” Steve said. “Right now, we need to get to New York.”


	16. Chapter 16

2012 

The plane hovered over the street near Stark Tower. We got off and Tony landed near us, “I’m going to see what’s going on at the tower.” He took off again.

I turned to Steve, holding the case in my hand, “You need to stay on the ground. Bruce and Thor will show up, Clint will be helpful too.” I stood on my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. When I pulled back, I took the gun out of the holster I had gotten on the ship. It also had several extra clips, “I’ve got a gun, and the scepter. I’ll take the elevator straight up to the top. I promise, no stops on the way.”

“I don’t want you to go alone.” He cupped my cheek, “I can’t protect you from down here.”

“I’ll go with her,” Natasha said. “You guys can handle things down here. With me around, she’ll be fine.”

“You don’t have to…” I started to say.

Natasha glared at me, “Brianna, you might know things, but you aren’t invincible. Steve will be more helpful down here, so you are right to make him stay. He could protect you just as well as I can, but…”

Steve sighed, “She’s right.” He laid a hand on my back, then kissed the top of my head, “Alright guys, let’s head out. Once the portal opens, we’re going to need to be ready to fight.”

Natasha and I headed to Stark Tower. She had her gun out, same as me. We entered the lobby and saw several guards at the elevator. There was another elevator that they weren’t guarding, but it only went up to Tony’s private area. That would require us to go up another ten flights of stairs to the roof.

We hid behind a pillar as I said, “We can take Tony’s personal elevator up most of the way. There’s a stairwell that will let us get up the rest of the way.”

“What about that elevator?” she asked.

“We can fight our way through all those guards, which will take time.” I gave her a slight smile, “Or, we can just skip that fight and head up. The faster we get to the roof, the faster we can stop this whole thing and go get some shawarma.”

“Shawarma?”

“It’s a thing.” I looked over at the guards, then back at Natasha, “So, what do you think, Nat? I vote for Tony’s private elevator. I’ve got the code, so I can get us up there.”

She looked almost disappointed, “Alright, let’s take the private elevator.”

I led the way, keeping us on the edge of the lobby. Once we got behind the main elevators, the guards couldn’t see us anymore. The private elevator was down the hall in the back, so it was unlikely that any of Loki’s people would be back there. Still, I walked with my gun held to my side, ready to fire if necessary.

As we reached the elevator, I grinned, “See, fight free.” Natasha frowned, “Sorry, Nat. I know you were looking forward to kicking some ass. If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure there will be more guards upstairs.”

She smiled at that, “Good.”

We rode up to Tony’s private level. When the doors opened, we held up our guns, pointing them out. Tony and Loki weren’t there anymore, which could only mean one thing. I ran to the broken windows and stepped out onto the overlook. Looking up, I saw a bright blue light that led straight to an open wormhole.

Natasha ran up next to me and looked up as well, “Fuck.”

“Yeah, exactly.” We watched as giant creatures covered in armor spilled out of the wormhole, along with several ships. Screams could be heard from the ground and I ran over to the edge, looking down, “God, I hope they’re okay.”

“They’ll be fine. We need to go up to the roof, stop this before it gets worse.”

I ran inside, toward the staircase. By the time we reached the top of the ten flights of stairs, I was out of breath. Natasha looked like she could keep going. We stood by the door as I tried to slow my breathing. She waited patiently, “You ready?”

Taking one more deep breath, I nodded, “Let’s go.”

She led the way out onto the roof. Selvig stood by the generator, three guards with him. They looked bored, clearly not expecting anyone to make it up to the roof. 

Natasha grinned and put her gun back into the holster. Sauntering over to them, she waved, “Hi, boys.” They turned and held up their guns. But she just ran at them, kicking and punching. I watched in awe as she quickly dropped all three of them.

Selvig came at her with a wrench as she knocked him down. When he hit his head, he sat up, grimacing, “The scepter.”

“Doctor,” Natasha said, looking over at him.

“Loki’s scepter, the energy,” he groaned. “The Tesseract can’t fight. You can’t protect against yourself.”

She crouched down in front of him, “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“Well, actually, I think I did. I built in a safety to cut the power source.”

I walked over, “The scepter.”

Selvig looked at me, “Yes.”

I took it out of the case and handed it to Natasha, “You should do it.” I touched my ear, activating the earpiece, “How’s it going down there guys?”

“Fine, never been better,” Steve said sarcastically. “You guys on the roof?”

I heard fighting in my earpiece, “Yeah. We are.”

“Good, stop this.” He paused and I heard a smash, “We’re all alive down here, just… hurry.”

“Bri,” Tony said. “They’ve launched a nuke at the city.”

“Fuck.” I looked at Natasha, “You need to get through the shield, but don’t deactivate it until after Tony takes care of the nuke.” She nodded and went over, forcing the scepter through the force field. “Tony, please be careful.”

“Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ll make it out of this.”

Tears fell down my cheeks, but I kept my voice calm, “I know, Tony. Let us know when it’s done.”

I heard Steve’s voice, “These things are still coming.”

“I’ve got a nuke coming in. It’s going to blow in less than a minute,” Tony said. “And I know just where to put it.”

“Come on, come on,” I said softly. I looked over at Natasha who stood there, arms shaking as she held the scepter in the forcefield, “Just a little longer, Nat.”

“Stark, you know that’s a one-way trip,” Steve said.

By this time, I was truly crying. In the movie, he survived, but this was real life. We saw him capture the missile and change its trajectory, moving it up into the wormhole. I stared up at the sky, willing him to come out safely. When the alien creatures started falling, I knew that it had worked. The main ship had been destroyed.

“Come on, Stark,” Natasha said. 

We couldn’t wait anymore, “Do it, Nat.”

She pushed the scepter in and touched the Tesseract, causing the beam to cut off and the wormhole to close. As it did, Tony fell through the hole. He didn’t slow down. I had to close my eyes so I wouldn’t see him free fall to the ground.

Seconds later, Steve’s voice came through the earpiece again, “He’s okay, Brianna. He’s alive.”

I fell to the ground, not bothering to hide my tears. I heard Tony say through Steve’s comm, “Alright, good job guys. Let’s just not come in tomorrow. Let’s just take a day. You ever try shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.”

I shut off my earpiece, not wanting anyone to hear what I had to do next. I held out my hand to Natasha, “The scepter.” She handed it to me. I grabbed the glowing blue orb at the end, wrapping the hand with the ring around it. It resisted slightly, but I closed my hand and pulled.  A yellow stone came out and I stuck it into the pocket of my jeans.

Natasha looked at me, “Brianna, what are you doing?”

Handing the scepter back to her, I said calmly, “It broke when you thrust it through the force field.”

“But you just…”

I looked at the scepter, then back at her. My face was as serious as I could make it, “Natasha, listen to me, please. The scepter broke when you had thrust it through the force field. Trust me, please. I need you to believe me when I say this needs to stay out of the hands of SHIELD.”

She put the scepter back into the case, closing it, “It broke when it went through the force field.” She turned to Selvig, “You good with that, doc?”

“I saw and know nothing. I was unconscious the whole time,” he nodded to the Tesseract. “You should probably keep that out of their hands as well.”

I reached in and grabbed the cube, “Thor is going to take it back to Asgard when he takes Loki. It will be safe.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Natasha asked.

I didn’t look at her, “For now, that’s all I can say.”

Steve’s voice came through my earpiece, “Brianna, can you hear me?”

I clicked the button, “Yeah, Steve.”

“Come on down, we’re going for shawarma.”

“Shawarma?” Natasha looked at me, “Are you psychic?”

I shook my head, “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Thirty minutes later, we all sat around the table, baskets of food in front of us. Everyone looked exhausted, even Steven and Thor. I couldn’t eat, my stomach was too unsettled for food. A tear rolled down my cheek that I couldn’t hide.

Steve placed a hand on my thigh under the table, “You okay?”

I shook my head, “I failed.”

“What do you mean, kiddo?” Tony looked at me, wiping his face with a napkin. “If it weren’t for you, more of the city would be in ruins.”

“No, you don’t understand,” my voice hitched as another tear fell down my face. “It happened exactly the same. Nothing changed. Why am I here if nothing is changing?”

“There wasn’t anything else you could do,” Steve said. The others just kept eating their food, not paying attention to our conversation, “You did everything in your power, if anything, this is our fault…”

“And Fury’s,” Tony added.

“I should have been able to do more,” I held the box containing the Tesseract close to my chest. “I could have done more. Maybe if I did, Coulson would be alive.”

“Hey,” Steve moved his hand to my back, rubbing circles between my shoulder blades. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, little one,” Thor said after he finished his last bite. “The fault lies entirely with my brother. He is the one that rained destruction down upon your fair city. You did not do this.”

“I could have…”

“No,” Natasha glared at me. “This is not your fault. None of it is, so stop talking like you could have done more. We got the scepter and the Tesseract. Even if the scepter is... “ she gave me a look, “broken.”

“Yes, I need to take that with me to Asgard. It should not be in human hands.” Thor held out his hand for the box, but I didn’t give it to him, “Little one, it is not safe for that to remain here in Midgard.”

“It’s not safe on Asgard, either.”

“When are you going to tell us what’s going on?” Tony asked.

“Soon, but not yet.” I stood, “Thor, can I talk to you over there?” I gestured to the other side of the destroyed shawarma restaurant. I walked over before he could answer. When he joined, I looked at him, “Ragnarok is going to happen in a few years. When it does, Loki will put the skull of whatever that lava monsters name is inside the eternal fire. He will grab the Tesseract at the same time. That’s how…” I stopped before saying Thanos, “The guy looking for this, he will stop at nothing to get it. I think I can get Tony to make a surrogate cube, one that will look like the real thing, but not actually is it. Would you be willing to take that back to Asgard and leave the Tesseract with me?”

“How do I know that it will not fall into the hands of those who wish to use it for destruction?” Thor made a good point. “I cannot risk that, little one.”

I laid my hand on his arm, “Thor, please trust me. And you need to talk to your father about your sister.”

“I don’t have a…”

“Her name is Hela. She is the firstborn and power hungry. Odin trapped her in Hel, where she will remain until he dies.” When his eyes widened, I kept talking, “She’s the reason Ragnarok starts. I can’t tell you more, just please, let me keep this. You have my word that no one will have access to it other than myself.”

“If Stark can make a convincing copy, I will allow it,” he looked down at the box. “But I will be checking in with you periodically. Do not let me down.”

“I won’t.” Looking back at the table, I tried to keep my face calm so the others wouldn’t suspect anything, “Tony is going to have to know. And I won’t keep secrets from Steve. But I won’t tell anyone else if you ask me not to.”

Thor shook his head when I turned back, “Little one, we are a team. What one does, the others should know. Just impress upon them the need for secrecy.”

We headed back to the table. I stuck my hand in the pocket, curling my fingers around the mind stone. I would have to tell them about it, but for now, my thoughts were on the Tesseract. We sat back down and I looked at Tony, “Can you create a facsimile of the cube?”

“What are you thinking, Bri?” he looked thoughtful. “Thor is taking it back.”

“Actually,” I started.

Thor interrupted, “Brianna is going to keep it. I trust her to not let it into the hands of those who would misuse it, and she has convinced me that keeping it on Asgard won’t make it any safer.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Steve said, his eyes trained on me. “That thing is dangerous.”

“I know,” I gave him a small smile. “That’s why I need to do this. I’m trying to change the future, Steve.”

“A future that you keep telling us is coming, but you won’t let us in on the secret,” Tony said, but his voice didn’t sound angry or condescending. He sighed, “I know you will tell us eventually, kiddo. But if you keep us in the dark too long, it might end up being worse.”

“I know,” I lowered my eyes to my lap. “Can you do it?”

“I believe so. I’ll need to go to my lab. It will take a few hours.” He turned to Thor, “Can you wait that long to take Loki back?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” my voice cracked and I looked up at him, tears in my eyes. “Thank you for trusting me.”

It took a few hours, but Tony managed to make a fake Tesseract that could fool even me. Before we gave the case with the fake cube to Thor, he looked inside, “I would say that is a job well done.”

I gave Thor a hug, whispering in his ear, “Thank you. And don’t forget to talk to your father. Maybe you can stop Ragnarok.”

“If Ragnarok is coming, little one, it will come. Nothing can stop it.” He left to go get Loki out of holding so he could take him back to Asgard.

I turned back to Tony. The only other person in the lab with us was Steve. He had changed back into normal clothes, but he wouldn’t leave my side. I looked at the Tesseract on the table, picked up a large wrench and swung, bringing it down on the cube. 

As it shattered, Tony yelled, “What the fuck are you doing?”

I sifted through the shards, grabbing the glowing blue stone from the wreckage. Holding it up, I showed it to them, “This.” I looked at Tony, “Can you make me a lead-lined case, with six slots in it?”

“What for?” his voice had turned curious after he saw the blue stone.

I pulled the yellow mind stone out of my pocket, holding it next to the blue space stone, “For these.”

“Brianna, what are those?” Steve came over, stopping a couple of feet from me.

“This is what is going to help us stop what’s coming. But I need a way to hide their power from SHIELD.” I looked at Tony again, “Do you think a lead-lined case will help?”

“I’ll make it out of Vibranium and lead. It will be heavy, but Cap can help you carry it.” He watched as I stuck the stones in my pocket, “It will take a few days though. Where did you get the yellow one?”

Sighing, I hung my head, “I took it out of the scepter.”

“But Natasha said…”

“She lied, for me.” I looked back up, “SHIELD can’t have a working scepter. They have rats in their house, and until that is cleaned up, I don’t trust them. I trust Fury and Hill, but that’s it.”

“Rats?” Steve asked.

I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. As I listened to the steady beat of his heart, I took a deep breath, “HYDRA.”


	17. Chapter 17

2012

Tony wouldn’t let me leave his tower without the case, on the off chance that SHIELD suspected me of something. So, he put me in a room he kept for when he didn’t want to go home. Steve followed me to the room, not wanting to leave me here alone. I sat on the edge of the bed, still trying not to wince. Since the helicarrier, I hadn’t done anything other than run up ten flights of stairs, but I still felt bruised all over from the explosion.

Steve sat down next to me, “Looks like we have some time.”

“Yeah,” my hand was still in my pocket, playing with the two infinity stones.

“Brianna, will you look at me? Please.” The tone of his voice had me turning my head to look at him. His eyes were so expressive, I could tell that he felt scared and hopeful at the same time, “I’m sorry that I never came over to see you the past few months.”

“Why didn’t you?” I couldn’t keep the hurt out of my voice.

“I wanted to,” his voice turned hoarse. “God, I wanted to so much. But I also respect you too much to just allow what this is between us to just be about sex.”

“And if you had come over…”

“Brianna, I haven’t had sex in…” he flushed. “Well, in my time, it’s been a few years. Since before going to Germany. I had offers, but being overseas where the only women are the girls on the USO tour, you don’t want to be one of many. They were well chased after by all the soldiers.”

Steve’s hand came up, his fingers under my chin tilting my face so I looked fully at him, “You could have come over. We could have just talked.”

“Brianna, sweetheart, we wouldn’t have just talked.” His head moved down until his mouth was only a couple of inches from mine, “Could you honestly say that if I had been in your apartment, in the space that is barely larger than a bedroom, that we would have been able to stay away from one another?”

My heart pounded, but I didn’t close the last couple of inches. I could feel his breath on my face. “Steve,” my voice came out breathless. His face moved further down, his lips mere millimeters from mine, “God.”

“Nope, just Captain America.”

I laughed, “You do have a good sense of humor.”

He smiled, “All in a day's work, ma’am.”

I reached up, threading my hands in his hair, “Are you going to kiss me, Steve? Or do I need to…” 

His mouth came down on mine. As we kissed, his hand went behind my back, pulling me closer. I had to hide the wince, not wanting him to stop. I moved my hands from his hair to the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head. We had to stop kissing for me to take it all the way off.

I traced my fingers over his muscles, stopping at the yellowing bruises on his chest. He captured my hand, holding it against him, “I’m okay. I heal fast.”

“I know,” I leaned forward and kissed him again, letting myself rest against him.

His hands went underneath my shirt, lifting it up and over my head. When his hands squeezed me closer, I groaned in pain. He stopped kissing me and pulled away, looked at my torso, “Jesus, Brianna, what happened?”

I looked down at saw the bruises that marred my body, “I’m okay.”

“Throwing my words back at me,” he didn’t sound happy. “I’m already healing. These look awful and painful.”

“I promise, I’m fine.” I leaned in to kiss him again, but he held me back, “Steve…”

“Brianna, I want you. I want this. But not when you’re hurt.”

I pulled back so I could reach behind me and unhook my bra. Standing, I unbuttoned my jeans as I kicked off my shoes. I pushed them down with my underwear until I stood in front of him completely naked.

His eyes roved up and down my body. I could see the arousal in his eyes, but he still frowned, “Brianna…”

I pushed him down so he was lying on the bed. Straddling his hips, I leaned down and kissed him, “Ignore the bruises, Steve.” I lifted his hand and put it between my thighs, “Do you feel that? I want you, Steve.” I kissed him again.

I sat up so I could unbutton his pants. His hands grabbed mine, stopping their movement, “We don’t have to do this right now.”

“Oh, I know, but I’ve been waiting for this since the day I met you,” my mouth curved into a grin as I kept unbuttoning his pants. As I scooted backward I pulled them down. My mouth started watering as I saw his hard cock jutting out from his hips. It laid against his abdomen, thick and long. “Wow, you are big all over.”

I leaned down, grasping his cock in my hand. I moved my hand up and down a few times, enjoying the moan that came out of his mouth. Moving my head down, I licked from the base of his cock up to the tip, slipping it into my mouth. 

He let me move my mouth up and down a few times, before grasping my head and pulling me off. “Brianna,” he moaned. 

I slid up, resting my hips on his. When my wet pussy touched his cock, it was my turn to moan. I gyrated against him, enjoying the feeling. But I couldn’t wait. I reached between my legs, gripped his cock, and lined it up at my entrance. I slid down a couple of inches, “Fuck, you’re bigger than I thought.”

Steve moved his hands to my hips, gripping hard then releasing. His face looked sad for a second, but I just put my hands over his and forced him to grip me again, “You’re not going to hurt me, Steve.” I slid the rest of the way down on him, moaning, “Just fuck me. Make me feel.”

His hips came up, thrusting him deeper into me, “Is this what you want?”

“Yes, Steve,” I moved with him. Bouncing up and down in time with his thrusts. I leaned down, kissing him hard as he held me in place, thrusting into me hard. I could feel myself come as I screamed into his mouth. He thrust into me a few more times, then came.

We laid there, breathless. I placed a gentle kiss on his lips as I rested on top of him, “Do you want me to move?”

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me in place, “No, not just yet. Just let me hold you for a few minutes before we have to get back to the real world.”

A couple of days later, we were back in Tony’s lab. He had a case sitting on the table, “So, what do you think, Bri?” He looked from Steve to myself, chuckling when my face flushed, “If you want to put the stones inside, we can use my machine to see if there is enough radiation leakage for SHIELD to find them.”

I took the stones out of my pocket and walked over. I said softly, “Don’t make a big deal out of this, Tony.”

He said back just as softly, “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything to Capsicle.” He took the stones from me and opened the case putting them inside. He had put a large piece of foam inside, with six divots, all in the same size of the stones I had shown him. Tony put them inside, shut the case, then picked up a piece of equipment holding it near the case, “It’s only emitting low levels of radiation. The only reason this is even picking anything up is that it’s in close proximity.”

“So, it will be okay at my apartment?”

“It should be.” Tony grinned, then his face turned serious. “Now, what’s this about HYDRA being in SHIELD?”

“Fuck,” I sat down in a chair. I knew I had to get HYDRA out of SHIELD, but I honestly had no idea how to do it. Because in order to get Bucky back, HYDRA had to stay long enough so that Natasha and Steve would end up on the run and kidnap Sitwell, one of the undercover HYDRA agents. Then Bucky gets sent after them, which is the beginning of everything. If we got rid of them too quickly, I don’t know what that would mean for Bucky. And, if we changed everything too much, maybe we would never be able to get Bucky back.

“What’s going through your mind, kiddo?”

“I just…” I sighed. I couldn’t tell him everything, not yet. We still had almost two years before Bucky came back into our lives. But just because I couldn’t tell them everything, didn’t mean I couldn’t tell them some things, “I know that there are HYDRA agents in SHIELD, but I don’t know everything. All the things I know, they don’t happen yet. Not for a couple of years.”

“But, if we can stop them before they…” Steve started to say.

“I know,” I dropped my head into my hands. “I literally have only fragments of knowledge. Bits and pieces of what’s to come. Besides, I couldn’t change what happened with Loki, what makes you think I can change this?”

Steve walked over and crouched in front of me, looking up into my eyes, “Brianna, maybe the things you’ve tried to change you weren’t meant to change. I think we should at least talk to Fury about this, let him decide what to do.”

“You’re right,” I ran my fingers through his hair, smiling slightly. As Steve stood, I looked at Tony, “All I know right now is that there are HYDRA agents in SHIELD. I can’t say who they are, so I don’t know how helpful it would be if the only information I can give him is that the enemy has infiltrated his super secret organization.”

“Do you want me to tell him?” Tony looked at me like he knew I wasn’t telling the whole truth. We had known each other long enough that he could tell when I held things back from him. Instead of pushing, however, he just offered to help, “I don’t mind talking to him. That way he won’t hound you with questions you can’t give answers to.”

“You would do that for me?”

“Of course, kiddo. Now, you and Cap go ahead and take the case to your apartment. I’ll call Fury and warn him about his rat problem.” As I stood, Tony gave me a hug, whispering in his ear, “Be careful, Bri. I know you like Steve, I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Life is full of pain,” I whispered back. “I’ll survive if this doesn’t work. But for now, I’m going to enjoy it while I have it.”

Tony pulled back from me and went over to Steve, clapping him on the shoulder, “You’re alright, Cap. You did well the other day.”

“You too, Tony,” Steve smiled.

“Alright,” I walked over to the boys. “If you grab the case, Steve, we can head to my apartment.”

“Yes, ma’am.”


	18. Chapter 18

2012 

I woke up in my bed, a hard body pressed against my back. It had been two months since the battle of New York. Two months since the world went to hell. Tony told me not to bother coming over, saying that they were too busy with the reconstructions on Stark tower. His voice when I talked with him sounded strained, so I knew it had to be more than that. Thinking back to the movie, it was entirely likely he suffered from PTSD after the battle. Flying a nuclear weapon into outer space, then crashing back to the Earth and almost dying, both very good reasons for having trouble sleeping.

Sighing, I snuggled back against Steve. His arm tightened around my middle, “Five more minutes.” He placed a kiss against the back of my neck, “I have to leave soon for a mission, so let’s just lie here before I have to leave for a few days with Natasha.” I stilled against him, but he didn’t notice.

The movies had always made their relationship look like more than it was. Right now, he barely knew her. They never spent time together except for the occasional mission. But after they had to go on the run during _Captain America: The Winter Soldier,_  their relationship had become closer. The writers had pushed Natasha and Bruce together, probably because of the great chemistry between Scarlett Johansen and Chris Evans. They probably wanted to keep the Peggy and Steve relationship alive by not allowing the chemistry to flourish. But the looks that Steve and Natasha gave each other in the movies, there is a reason that people think they would have made a good couple.

I shouldn’t feel weird about it. After all, I did have him in my bed. Although, the relationship that I didn’t want to be just about sex, wasn’t about much else. Not that I would ever complain about that. Being with Steve, that’s a dream come true for most fangirls. It just that when he comes over we can’t keep our hands off each other. Any time I’d tried to make it about more, tried to get him to go out with me or talk to me, it didn’t work. Fury kept him too busy to go out on real dates, requiring him to be at the base when he wasn’t away on missions. The little time he had to spend with me, he wanted to spend in my arms. 

I turned around pressing a gentle kiss against his lips, “Oh, are you sure you can’t spare more time?” I ran my hand down his side, letting it trail to the front of his body, cupping his cock through his pajama pants. As I rubbed up against him, he grew hard, “I seem to recall you saying something last time about making Fury wait.”

Steve rolled to his back, pulling me with him so I ended up straddling his hips, my chest pressed against his. He grinned, “Yes, but this time I’d be making Natasha wait. And I’m fairly certain she wouldn’t understand.”

I undulated my hips against him, moaning softly, “Come on, Steve, please?” I reached down, pushing his pants down just enough to pull his cock out. Sliding my panties to the side, I raised my hips enough I could position him at my entrance. There hadn’t been quite enough preparation for him to slide right in, making it an extra tight fit. I moaned in both pain and pleasure as he stretched me wide, “We can be quick.”

His hands gripped my hips, forcing me down until he was fully inside of me, “Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Even though I was lying against him, I moved my hips enough that he slid out a bit, then pushed back down. I did this a few times, every time making me more horny and wet. “You’ve done it now, Steve. You can’t leave me hanging like this,” I kept moving against him, letting my hands rove up and down the sides of his chest as mine rubbed against him. I kissed him hard, “I don’t want to have to take care of myself.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.” He pulled me off, turned me so I was face down on the bed. Lifting my hips, he pulled down my underwear and spread my asscheeks, rubbing his cock against my entrance. His voice came out serious, “If I hurt you…”

I lifted myself up on my arms and looked over my shoulder, “Fuck me, Steve. Fuck me so hard I’ll be sore later. Fuck me so everyone will know that I get to have sex with a hung god every day.”

He thrust into me, bottoming out in one thrust. At this angle, he went in deeper than normal, his cock hitting my cervix. Something I’d learned from our short time together, I liked a little bit of pain with my pleasure. If I didn’t, I never would have been able to take him as deep and hard as he liked to go.

Gripping my hips tight enough I would have bruises, he thrust in and out of me, hard and fast. It didn’t take much build-up for me to start coming. Being with him was different than any other guy I had been with. Before him, I had never had an orgasm during sex, not even once.

He kept going, moaning my name as he continued to thrust. My pussy clenched on his cock, continuously coming as he continued to fuck me. When his hips started stuttering, I looked back over my shoulder, “Come for me, Steve.” Hie eyes closed, and he grunted, shoving into me one last time.

Steve leaned forward, resting against me. His forehead pressed between my shoulder blades as he slipped out of me, “If that gets any better, I might not make it.” He fell to the side and I laid on my stomach, moving so I could rest my head on his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, “You are truly wonderful, Brianna.”

“You are too,” I leaned forward and kissed him softly. Then I rolled away, smoothing my shirt down, “You should probably get ready. You’re already going to be late.”

After Steve left, I headed over to Tony’s house. I went straight to his lab. He looked awful, black bags under his eyes, hair sticking up all over his head. Moving toward him, I sat down in a chair, waiting for him to notice me.

Several minutes later, he noticed me sitting there. He came over, running his hand through his hair, “Bri, what are you doing here?”

“I’m worried about you, Tony,” I wanted to stand and give him a hug. But he kept fiddling with his electronics, “You won’t return my calls, you look like shit. What are you doing?”

He handed me something, “I fixed your hand zappers.”

I turned them over in my hands, “I thought you wanted me to…”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he shrugged and went to a set of stairs that led down. He started down them, not bothering to ask me to follow.

I sat there for a few moments, unsure of what to do. Standing, I followed him down the stairs. Hidden beneath his lab was a room I had never seen before. I assumed it had been there before, but he had never showed it to me. Lined on the wall were multiple display cases. Each of them contained an Iron Man suit. “Oh, Tony,” my voice came out soft and hushed.

“What?” he looked at me questioningly. “I’ve been working on perfecting my suit.”

“I think you need a vacation,” I went over to him this time, pulling him into a hug. It took a few seconds, but then his arms wrapped around me, his face pressed against my shoulder. He started shaking and I rubbed his back, “It’s okay.”

Pepper came into the room, followed by an Iron Man suit that JARVIS controlled. I went off to the side, trying to stay out of their conversation. It wasn’t my place to get in the way of their relationship.

I heard Tony say, “Nothing’s been the same since New York.”

“Oh really,” her voice came out sarcastic. “Well, I didn’t notice that. At all.”

“You experience things. Then they’re over, and you still can’t explain them.” He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, “Gods, aliens, other dimensions… I’m just a man in a can. The only reason I haven’t cracked up is probably because you moved in. Which is great, because I love you. I’m lucky. But honey, I can’t sleep.”

Pepper looked like she had tears in her eyes. She turned to me, “Would you mind going upstairs?”

I nodded and went up to the living room. I couldn’t remember everything that happened during that scene, but I knew how much they loved one another. They spent so much time apart, with Pepper being CEO, Tony working in his lab. I worried that one day it might not be enough.

After several minutes, Pepper came up and handed me a small box with the hand zappers inside, “You should probably just go. Tony is going to try and get some sleep after I take a shower.”

I gave her a quick hug, “You’re a good woman, Pepper Potts. He’s lucky to have you.”

It was about a week later when I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize, “Hello?”

“Brianna, it’s Rhodey,” he sounded stressed out.

“Rhodey, what’s going on?” I had a bad feeling I knew what had happened, and I hadn’t warned Tony. “Please, tell me what happened.”

“There’s been an attack on his mansion. Tony is,” Rhodey choked back a sob. “Tony is dead.”

I let out a sigh, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he took a deep breath. “There is no way he could have survived that fall.”

Steve entered the apartment to see me sitting on the bed, shaking as I talked to Rhodey. He gave me a look and I just shook my head. “Are you absolutely positive, Rhodey? Did you find his body?”

“No, but…”

“He’s not dead.”

“Brianna,” Rhodey’s voice came out placating. “I know you think you…”

“You’re not listening to me. Tony’s not dead.”

Steve took the phone from my hand, “This is Rogers… Rhodes, what’s this about Tony being dead?... The Mandarin attacked his mansion… Is Pepper okay?... Do you need my help?... Alright, well you know where I am if you need me.” He hung up the phone, “I’m sorry, Brianna.”

“He’s not dead,” I sounded scared, even to myself. “He doesn’t die. He can’t die. If he does, then…”

“From what Rhodes says, there is no way he could have survived,” Steve sat down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I know how much you cared for him.”

This was the longest we had gone without one of us making a move on the other. Being with him like this felt better than anything I could have imagined, even if it did happen because of something horrible, “Why does everyone assume that Tony is dead? Why won’t anyone believe me when I say that he’s alive? Haven’t I been right about everything else so far?”

As tears welled in my eyes, Steve lifted my chin up so I looked at him, “Sweetheart, there is no way he could…”

“I’m scared, Steve,” I buried my face in his chest. “Since coming here, I’ve had to see things that I never thought were actually real. I had to deal with you fighting the aliens on the ground, not knowing if I would get to see you again or not. I had to watch as Tony fell from the sky, his suit not working. If Hulk hadn’t caught him…”

“But he did.”

“I know,” I trailed my fingers over his chest as I listened to the steady beat of his heart. “I knew he would survive. He did in the movies. That’s how I know he survives this, too. But still, I can’t help but be terrified.” My voice broke, “What if my being here changed the timeline too much and he dies before he should? What if I’m the reason that something really bad happens?”

“You have to have faith.”

“Faith?” I pulled back slightly, “I have to have faith? Faith in what? Faith that the things I saw come to pass? Faith that I can change the things I was brought here to change? Faith that I’m doing all I can to right the wrongs that kill half the universe?” I sighed, leaning against him again, “I don’t know if I’m that strong.”

“Brianna…” he started to say, his voice soft.

“No, Steve. This is my fault too.” I wiped a tear that rolled down my cheek, “If I had just told him what was coming, maybe it could have been avoided. But I was so distracted by having you in my bed, that I ignored what I had come here to do. To change the future.”

“This isn’t your fault, sweetheart,” he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, pulling me closer. “You didn’t cause these things to happen.”

“No, but I could have stopped them.”

“Remember what I said before? Maybe you can only change the things you were meant to change.” Fingers combed through my hair, rubbing my scalp, “Maybe some things need to happen in order for the future to work out the way you want it to.”

I sighed, “Can we just… go to sleep? I would call Pepper and tell her, but if Rhodey didn’t believe me, she definitely won’t.” But still, I took the phone from Steve and sent her a text message.

**ME: Tony isn’t dead. His suit is damaged, but he’ll be okay. He’ll return to you, Pepper. Please believe me.**

**_PEPPER: Rhodey told me what you said. Are you sure? Is this one of your psychic things?_ **

**ME: Yeah. I promise you, he’ll be okay. It’s just going to be a couple of weeks before he gets in touch. Just please, tell me you’ll be careful around Killian.**

**_PEPPER: Killian?_ **

**ME: Please, Pepper.**

**_PEPPER: Alright, I will. Let me know if you hear from Tony._ **

I put the phone down and took off my clothes, not bothering to put on my nightshirt. I wanted to feel Steve’s skin against mine. It was the only way I could think of to help my stress, use him to feel better. I crawled into bed and watched as he shut off the lights, stripped down, and climbed in next to me.

Steve turned on his side and pulled my back against his chest. Pressing a kiss to my neck, he said softly, “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, Steve.”

“What for?” he sounded genuinely curious as to why I would be thanking him.

“For being you.” I threaded my fingers with his, holding them against my stomach, “I honestly don’t know if I would survive this without you.”

“Well, if you’re right, Tony is fine. He’s…”

“No, I’m not talking about Tony.” I yawned, “I’m talking about living here, in this time and reality. You are one of the reasons I came here. Because in the movies, you get shafted so many times whenever you have a chance to be happy. You and Bucky both.” He stilled against me when I said Bucky’s name, “We’ll get him back, I promise.”

“I know,” but he didn’t sound like he believed it. “I wish we could get him back sooner. That I could see you were right, that he is really alive.”

Closing my eyes, I yawned again. My voice came out sleepy, “Less than two years, Steve. I know it sucks, but I know where he’ll be once certain events happen. Before that, unless you have some super special hidden HYDRA base tracking skills that I don’t know about, we aren’t going to be able to find him.” I lifted his hand up, pressed a kiss to it, then held it against my chest again, “Go to sleep. We’ll figure everything out in the morning.”


	19. Chapter 19

2012 

“Fuck,” I groaned, rolling away from Steve. My head hurt from the stress of the night prior. Being in his arms all night had helped me calm down, but right at this instant, I didn’t want to be calm. I felt like shit. I couldn’t help but feel like this was all my fault, that I could have stopped Tony from ending up in some tiny little town in the middle of nowhere if I had just told him what was happening. If I could have ignored Steve for just a few seconds to remember why Dr. Strange had brought me to this reality.

Tears threatened to spill, but I rubbed my eyes hard, trying to keep them from falling. Steve’s hand touched my hip, “Brianna, what’s wrong?”

I sat up, pulling away from him, “Nothing. Go back to sleep, Steve.”

“No,” he sat as well but didn’t reach for me again. Probably didn’t want me to reject him again, “I know I’m not from this century, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid, Brianna. I can tell you’re hurting. I wish you would let me, let me help you.”

My head turned to look at him. I almost cried when I saw how sad he looked. Reaching out, I pressed my palm against his cheek briefly, “You help me by just being here. But right now, I don’t deserve help. I should have told Tony about…”

“Brianna,” his voice came out commanding. “You can’t take the blame for everything.”

“But if I had told him…”

“It probably still would have happened. The only difference is that he would have a heads up about it.” Steve paused, his voice turning contemplative, “This place he’s in right now, is he in danger?”

“Not any more than usual.” I thought for a few seconds, “Well, there are some people that come after him, but he doesn’t get hurt.”

“Is him being there good for him?”

“Fuck,” I leaned my head forward on my hands. Taking a deep breath, I sighed, “I think it is. He’s suffering from PTSD right now, you probably know it better as shell shock, and being there helps him. The kid he meets, he helps him with his anxiety from the battle.”

Steve rubbed my back, “Maybe this needed to happen. But even if it didn’t, you aren’t going to be able to stop everything from happening.”

I climbed off the bed, not wanting his comfort anymore. Pulling out some clothes, I put them, “That’s the problem. I’m here to stop something very specific from happening. If I can’t…” I took a shuddering breath, a few tears rolling down my cheeks, “What’s the point if I can’t stop that? If all this is for nothing, then why am I here?”

“Brianna,” Steve moved like he was going to get off the bed.

Grabbing my purse, I slipped on my shoes, “I’m sorry, Steve. I just need to get out of here.”

As I rushed for the door, he got off the bed and came after me. He wore boxer briefs, so he wasn’t naked, but I still didn’t open the door. My hand stilled on the knob as he neared. “Please don’t run.” He reached for me, stopping before touching me, “Running never solves anything.”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. When I opened them, Steve was staring at me intently. I said softly, “I need to go check out Tony’s place. See if JARVIS is functioning. I’m not running.”

“You are,” he said just as softly. “But I don’t blame you for it.”

I leaned against him, wrapping my arms around his waist, “I’m sorry. I know you just got home from your mission, and I’m leaving you.”

“I’ll be fine,” he pushed me back enough that he could tilt my face up. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss on my lips, “I just want to take care of you. To be there when you need a shoulder to lean on.”

I stepped back and gave him a smile, “You are too good for me, Steve Rogers.” Without waiting for a reply, I left the apartment, hurrying down the six flights of stairs so I could escape. I wish I could have been braver, let Steve come with me. But I’m not brave. I’m just a silly young girl who thought she could change the future. But if I couldn’t even tell my friend that he would be in danger, did that make me just as bad as the guy who shot torpedos at his house?

I took a cab as close to Tony’s house as I could get. Police cars barricaded the road, not letting anyone else go through. I paid the driver and got out, walking up to the yellow tape. From where I stood, I could see the wreckage of his house. It was worse than I ever could have imagined.

When I tried to sneak under the tape, an older cop glared at me, “I’m sorry, miss. You’re not allowed.”

“But my uncle,” I decided to use the lie that Tony and I had thought up in the unlikely event either of us was injured and needed ‘family.’ He even went as far as having it put into government databases that we were related, “That’s his house.”

“Can I see your ID?” I handed it to him and he went off, most likely to find out if I was being truthful. I wasn’t, but he didn’t know that. When he came back, he grimaced, “I’m sorry, miss. Your uncle is… I can’t let you go near the house. It’s dangerous and potentially unstable.”

“Can I least see if Pepper Potts is around?” I gave him my best innocent expression, “I promise I won’t go inside.”

He placed a hand under the tape and lifted it up, “Just stay out of the way, and don’t go in the house.”

As soon as he turned his attention back to what he had been doing before I arrived, I hurried off toward the house. No one paid me much attention, especially when I strutted forward like I owned the place. Tony had taught me that. How to act like you are in charge so no one questions you. But still, when I got close to the front wall, where the windows had been shattered, I glanced around to see if anyone was watching. No one appeared to be, so I snuck inside.

Debris littered the floor. From where I entered, I could see that the back part of the building was completely gone. It had fallen off into the water. I heard voices, so I hurried over to the stairs that led to Tony’s lab. Once inside, I noticed that it seemed relatively unscathed considering the carnage that had occurred upstairs.

I went over to the computer, touching buttons until the screen lit up. JARVIS spoke in that British voice of his, “Mr. Stark?”

“No, JARVIS. It’s Brianna.”

“Ah, Miss Mayfield,” he seemed almost upset that it wasn’t Tony. “I’m sorry, my optical sensors have been damaged. It appears that the explosions hurt many of my functions.”

“Have you heard from Tony?” I couldn’t keep the anxiety from my voice. Even though I was certain he had made it, I couldn’t really relax until I confirmation.

“I’m sorry, Miss Mayfield. I have not heard from him.” He paused, “However, I do not have access to Stark servers anymore, so it is possible that I just cannot receive that data.”

I sighed, “Don’t worry about it, JARVIS. Do you know how Pepper is? Or what the status is on the rest of the house?”

“The room below us is completely intact. Miss Potts, she made it out before Mr. Stark fell into the sea.” He paused again, “I believe he should be fine, however. Mr. Stark was wearing his prototype Iron Man suit when he fell into the sea. I lost contact with him when he went below the water, but he had a portion of me with him in the suit.”

“I know he’s fine, it’s just…” I looked around the room, “I wish I could know for certain he was okay. That’s all.” Sitting down, I pawed through the bits and pieces on the desk. Not for any real purpose, just to give my hands something to do, “What do we need to do to get you hooked back up to Stark servers?”

JARVIS and I spent the next several hours rewiring the boxes that let him connect to Stark Tower. I wasn’t the world’s best electrician, and I’m sure Tony would freak out when he saw the rush job I did on the wires, but at least I got everything mostly functional again. JARVIS got back almost full connectivity but still didn’t have access to his normal functions around the house. That probably had to do with damaged hardware than anything else.

“Miss Mayfield, there is a message on the servers that Mr. Stark left for Miss Potts.”

“Oh, thank god,” I could feel the tension leaving my shoulders. “I don’t think you should play it for me, it was meant for her. But could you tell me the gist of it?”

“Actually, he also left a brief message for you. Shall I play that?”

“Yes, please.”

“Hey kiddo,” Tony sounded strained. “I just want you to know that I’m alright. And if you’re beating yourself up for what happened, don’t. This is my own fault. My own ego and stupidity had me challenging the Mandarin on live television. So, even if you knew about the attack, it’s not your fault.” He paused and I could hear him draw in a shaky breath, “I’m fine. My suit… it’s not so fine. If you get this before Pepper does, just tell her that I’m still alive and that I love her. And Bri, I love you too, kiddo. You’ve become like a daughter to me. If I don’t make it back, I know you’ll be okay. But I’m going to do my best to make it back to my two best girls. You tell Cap that I said to watch your back.”

The recording ended and I brought a hand to my face, surprised to feel tears streaming down my cheeks, “Is there anything else?”

“No, Miss Mayfield,” his voice came out softer than normal. “He left a similar message for Miss Potts, and according to my records, she viewed it a few hours ago.”

“Thanks,” I wiped my eyes as I drew in a shaky breath. “Now, I need you to do something for me. How much do you know from the JARVIS on my laptop?”

“Uh,” JARVIS sounded uncertain. Almost as if he weren’t sure if he should tell me. He let out a very un-computer-like sigh, “I know everything, Miss Mayfield. Whenever your laptop hooks back up to the mainframe, your conversations are passed back. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you can rest assured that they are stored where Mr. Stark does not know about. I really did not…”

“It’s okay, JARVIS. I’m not upset,” I smiled slightly. “This makes it a little easier. Now I don’t have to explain everything to you. Basically, there is going to be a big battle. Tony is going to need you to pilot the extra Iron Man suits to him. Using them as both weapons, and to send to him for help.”

“That is something that he and I have been working on,” he sounded thoughtful. “Is this coming up soon?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I think you have at least a week.”

“Good.” He was silent for a few minutes, “I’m going to work on the flight controls for the suits. Do you think you could help me rewire some of them to be controlled?”

“Um,” I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “I’m not sure I should.”

“Mr. Stark won’t mind.”

“That’s not the problem. You didn’t see the job I did to get you back on the server. It wasn’t pretty.”

“It doesn’t need to be pretty. It just needs to do the job.”

I realized something, “It doesn’t matter anyway. Tony is going to have you destroy the suits after you win.”

“Really?” JARVIS sounded surprised. “I do not believe that Mr. Stark would ever give up the suits.”

“He does it for Pepper. Because he loves her.”

“Ah, yes, I understand now.” He went silent again, “Come back tomorrow. I have some code that needs to be worked on before we can commence work on the hardware. I can instruct you on how to do the wiring.”

I left Tony’s house. As I walked out the front door, the older cop saw me and frowned, “Miss, you weren’t supposed to go in there.”

“Sorry, I just needed to see something.” I gave him a cheery smile, “I’m leaving now. Thanks for all your help.”

He reached for me, but I narrowly escaped his grasp as I jogged away. I didn’t need to be detained on top of everything else. But at least I felt better after hearing Tony’s voice. As I walked down the street I frowned when I realized how Steve must be feeling after the way I left. I sighed, knowing I had some groveling to do.

As I entered the apartment, I called out, “Steve.” The apartment was dark, so I turned on the light. A note was on the center of my bed. I didn’t want to pick it up, but I knew I needed to see what it said.

_Brianna,_

_I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to push you. I know how stressful it must be, thinking that you are responsible for the death of a friend. Or at least, thinking you are responsible for the near-death of a friend. When Bucky fell off the train, I didn’t want to live anymore. I had lost my best friend, the only person who stood by me through thick and thin. It devastated me in a way that nothing else could. Please don’t blame yourself for what happened. Stark wouldn’t want you to shoulder that kind of guilt._

_I’m sorry that I had to leave before you got back from Stark's place. Fury called about another mission shortly after you left. Natasha and I leave for Bucharest tonight. Please be safe, sweetheart. I’ll return in a few days. Just remember, I’m always there for you, even if I can’t be there in person._

_Steve_


	20. Chapter 20

2012 

While Steve was away on his mission with Natasha, I spent my time at Tony’s working with JARVIS to get the suits wired so they could be controlled remotely. Tony had already figured it all out and made it possible, but after the explosion, things had been damaged. In the movies, everything had just worked. But movies make everything seem easier than it actually is.

I soldered the last wire and shut the front panel on the suit, “JARVIS, I think we’re done.”

“Yes, Miss Mayfield, I believe we are,” JARVIS sounded happy. “Mr. Stark would be very proud of the work you’ve done.”

“You’re only saying that because you can’t see the poor soldering job I did,” I laughed. “But at least it will work now.”

My phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, “Hello?”

“Is this Brianna Mayfield?” the male voice on the other end of the line sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“That depends, who’s asking?”

The guy laughed, “I see why Tony likes you.”

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t know who you are.” I wracked my brain for any clue as to who this guy was, “So, are you going to tell me why you’re calling, or…”

“Ah, please forgive my manners. My name is Aldrich Killian.”

“Oh, I know you.” I let all my anger and hate for this man seep into my voice, “You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Now, Brianna, that’s not polite,” he chuckled. I could hear a woman screaming in the background, “You should really learn to respect your betters, young lady. Miss Potts here, she is my insurance that Tony will do what I want. But you, I’ve been hearing a lot about you from Pepper.”

“What, before you kidnapped her and injected Extremis inside of her?”

I heard an intake of air, but I didn’t hear any more screams. He sounded thoughtful, “How did you know about Extremis?”

“Never mind that. Where is Pepper?” I tried to stay strong, even with knowing what happened to her. 

“Sorry, Brianna. Not telling.” Another male voice said something to him in the background, “And that’s my cue to leave. I’ve got Tony now.”

“Wait,” I yelled before he hung up. “Why did you call me?”

“I was going to have you tell Tony that I had his beloved Pepper, but now that I have him…”

“You know what, Killian?” I took a deep breath, “You are going to die. And when you do, I will laugh. Guys like you, they don’t win.”

“Sorry, but I already have.” 

He hung up and I punched the wall, cursing when my knuckles collided with the concrete. “Fuck, that hurt,” I rubbed my knuckles. Moving my fingers, I could tell nothing was broken, but I knew I would be hurting for a few days. I dialed Natasha’s phone, knowing Steve didn’t have a cell phone yet.

A male voice answered, “Da?”

Fuck, she must be busy. There wasn't any reason I could think of for some guy with a foreign accent to be answering her phone otherwise. I quickly asked, “I’m sorry. You wouldn’t happen to be with a really gorgeous redhead right now, would you?”

The phone must have been pulled away from his ear, but I still heard him say, “E pentru ea ( _it’s for her)_ .” I was just glad that I had been trying to learn Romanian for Bucky. Knowing that he would eventually be in Bucharest during _Captain America: Civil War_ , and the fact that he spoke the language while on the run, I knew he would speak Romanian. It was all part of my master plan to make him trust me when we found him. Maybe if I could speak to him in a language he knew, he would think I was with him and let me get close. It’s an idea, probably not a good one, but an idea nonetheless.

“Ascultă cu atenție ( _you listen carefully_ ),” a different male voice said.

I didn’t bother letting him finish, “Look, I get it. You are interrogating her, probably hit her a few times. I just need to ask her something real quick like, then you can get back to hitting her.” I sighed, “Please?”

“De ce ar trebui ( _why should I_ )?”

I growled, “Listen, old man, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. You either put her on the phone, or I will hunt you down, cut you open, and feed you your own intestines.”

He must have walked over and given her the phone because I heard Natasha say angrily, “What?”

“Nat, it’s me.” She didn’t say anything back, “I’m sorry to call you in the middle of a job, but Tony’s disappeared, Pepper has been taken, and I’m pretty certain the President is going to be kidnapped.”

“Are you kidding me?” She sounded irritated, although I wasn’t sure if it was with me or the situation, “I’m kind of working right now.”

“I know, Nat, I’m sorry. I know you and Steve are on a mission right now, but…”

“Steve’s not with me.” At my sharp intake of breath, she quickly added, “We were together, but Fury pulled him off on another task. Something that only he could do.”

“I don’t know what to do,” I could feel my anxiety creeping in. “I’m not prepared for this, Natasha. This isn’t what I do.”

“Let me put you on hold,” the guy must have taken the phone because I heard him grunt and the phone fell to the floor. The sound of fighting and breaking wood came through the speaker. All total, I was on hold for maybe two minutes before she came back, “Alright, now why do you think the President is in danger?”

I told her about Killian and the Extremis project. All the people who exploded when they couldn’t contain the force inside of them. About how the Mandarin blew up Tony’s house, and how Killian was really the Mandarin and planned on capturing the President out of Air Force One. How the Vice President was behind it all. “I was really hoping Steve would be with you.”

“Brianna, I am more than capable of helping you,” she sounded almost offended.

“That isn’t what I meant, Nat.”

“I know, I’m just giving you shit,” she laughed. “Where are you now?”

“Tony’s house.”

“I’m calling Clint. Stay there,” she paused. “It will take me a day or two to get back there. I need to finish up a couple of things before I can make it back to New York. But Clint will help you. If I knew where Steve was, I would tell you. I would do my best to make sure he was there to help you as well.”

“It’s okay, Nat.” I sighed, “Thanks.”

After she hung up, I started scouring the lab for anything at all that Tony may have been working on for me. JARVIS must have heard me banging around because he asked, “What are you looking for, Miss Mayfield? Maybe I can help.”

“Honestly, I kind of hoped that Tony had built me a suit or something. I just want to help, and I can’t do that as myself.”

“Brianna,” JARVIS had never sounded more like a dad until that moment. He sounded both exasperated and done with my bullshit, “You are more than capable of doing anything you put your mind to. Mr. Stark told me how your ring can repel his blasts, how it gives you strength. Maybe it can do other things as well that would help.”

I looked down at it, twisting the silver ring around my finger. It had become a touchstone of sorts for me. Whenever I felt anxious or stressed, I would twist it around on my finger, trying to remember why I was here. Right now, I wished that Wong had given me more information to go on. 

“Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say it does more than just block energy weapons,” I sighed and let go of the ring. “The problem is, I don’t know what it does. How is that helpful?”

“I don’t know, Miss Mayfield.” He sighed, very uncharacteristic for the AI, “Mr. Stark was going to surprise you with this, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it to you now.” A panel on the wall opened up. Inside, stood a purple and black suit, very much like his Iron Man suit, but sized to fit me. “He wants to protect you as much as you feel the need to protect him.”

“Oh,” I walked over to it. My fingers trailed over the cold purple metal, “How do I…” 

The suit opened up and I heard a voice inside, “Hey, Bri.” The voice sounded suspiciously like Tony, “If you’re hearing this, then something happened to me and I… didn’t make it back. I wanted to give this to you and teach you how to fly myself, but you’re going to have to figure it out on your own, kiddo. But I have faith, I know you can do it.”

“JARVIS?” I took a step back from the suit and the voice inside stopped talking. “What’s going on?”

“I would suggest you finish listening.”

I moved back in front of the suit, and Tony’s voice started back up where it had left off. “I’m really sorry to have left you like this. I know that the bad thing is coming and that I was supposed to play a part in it, but sometimes, life doesn’t give you what you think you want. Sometimes, it gives you what you need.” His voice broke and I could tell that he had been trying to hold back tears when he recorded it, “This suit will protect you. You can be the next Iron Man… Iron Woman or something like that.” He chuckled, “Just, take care of Pepper. And spend more time with Capsicle. Good things like that don’t come around that often. Just look at me and Pepper. We ignored what we had for years, but we finally gave in and I can actually say that I'm happier now then I have been in years. Although, you did have something to do with that too. Now, you’ve got JARVIS in this suit, so you’ll be fine. Happy has my will, I left you quite a bit, so you should be able to do whatever you need with it. Stop the bad thing, kiddo, I believe in you. I love you, Bri. I’m really glad you came into my life.”

By the time the recording was finished, I was crying. A throat cleared behind me and I whipped around, relaxing when I saw Clint. He took in the purple suit and the tears rolling down my cheeks, “You okay?”

“I’ve been better.” He didn’t seem happy to see me. Out of everyone, Clint happened to be the only one who hadn’t spent much time with me. Even Bruce had gotten a taste of my ‘psychic’ abilities, as Pepper liked to call them. I knew there was no way he would trust me, especially if I just brought up his family right now like I had planned the next time I saw him. Instead, I just tried to smile, “Thanks for coming.”

“Yeah, well, Tasha sent me. I’m only here for her.”

“Why don’t you like me, Clint?” I wiped the tears off my face and took a deep breath, “I get that you don’t know me. But I’ve never had a problem getting people to like me before.”

He sighed, “It’s not that I don’t like you, Brianna. I just… I don’t like how Tasha dropped everything to come and help you. I don’t get why you’re so special. Tash seems to think that you might be important, but I don’t see it.” He gave me a look, “No offense, but you seem like a young girl who should be out on a date or with her friends. Not hanging out in the middle of one crisis after another.”

“No offense taken,” I shook my head and smiled. “I’m not going to try and win you over, not yet. I like you, Clint. You always were a badass character,” I stopped after I realized what I had said. He didn’t give me a weird look, so maybe he didn’t quite hear what I said, “You kick ass in any situation. I mean, with just a bow and arrow, you do just as much damage as any of the other Avengers. And you’re just a normal guy.”

“Well…”

“Honestly, I admire you, Clint Barton.”

He flushed, “Fine, I guess I’ll stop being an asshole.” He looked around, “So, what’s the plan?”

I walked him through what I knew had already happened, and what I was pretty sure would happen. He looked incredulous during parts of it, but apparently, Natasha had told him that I know things, because he didn’t argue that there was no way I could know what was going to happen. “As for a plan, I don't really have one. Nothing concrete anyway. I’m just hoping that if I... if we are there, we can make things easier and hopefully better for Tony.”

“Um, Miss Mayfield,” JARVIS sounded flustered. “Mr. Stark is back online. He just connected with my mainframe.”

“Can you put him through?” I sounded hopeful. I knew he was probably busy, but I just wanted to hear from him again. To actually talk to him in real-time.

“I’m sorry, Miss Mayfield. That part of my system doesn’t seem to be working completely. Or it could be that he is out of reach.” He paused for a few seconds, “I just sent an update to the AI in the suit. Apparently, Mr. Stark and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes are on their way to save the President."

“Fuck,” I turned to Clint. “We can’t wait for Nat. This is all going down now.”

“What do you need me to do?” Clint stood up straighter, seeming more like a soldier than he had a few minutes ago. “Just tell me what to do and where to go.”

I picked up a tracker and handed it to him before going to my suit. As I climbed in, I said, “There are tracking devices on each of these suits. You should see a blip on there indicating which one is mine. The fight takes place on the docks. If you can get there, you’ll see when I am on my way.” The suit started to close up, covering everything but my face, “I’m going to see if I can help Tony rescue the President.”


	21. Chapter 21

2012

Inside, I stood near the edge of the house where Tony had gone over into the water. Internally, I was shaking. I couldn’t help but look over the broken chunk of the house to the cliff face below me.

Clint came up beside me, “You gonna stand there all day?” He tried to make his voice joking, but I could sense the impatience hidden behind his light tone, “You did say that the President is in danger.” I took a step forward and stopped. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

The mask flipped up and I looked at him. He blanched when he saw the terror on my face, “I’m afraid of heights. Like, deathly afraid of heights. Have been since I was a little kid. And the fact that Tony fell out of the house down into those waters…”

Moving closer, Clint placed a hand at my back, “Tony is fine, remember? The way Tasha talks about you, I know you can do it.” He moved in front of me so I faced him, “Just take a deep breath. The suit will protect you if you fall. But you won’t fall. You’ll be fine. Just breathe with me.” He took a couple of deep breaths in and out that I tried to match, “Good.”

“You know,” I said softly. “You would make a good father, Clint.” I didn’t come outright and say that I knew he had children, mainly because no one else knew other than Natasha. I really didn’t want him to hate me, “I guess I should get going.”

“Miss Mayfield,” JARVIS said in my helmet. “Mr. Stark is on his way to Air Force One.” When I didn’t move, he said softer, “You can do this, Miss Mayfield. Mr. Stark wouldn’t have made the suit for you if he didn’t think you were worthy of it.”

I put my hands down and started the blasters so I could take off. The mask lowered and I started flying. After about five minutes of flight, I didn’t feel scared anymore. Being inside the suit helped with my fear. It felt more like being in an airplane than free-falling. Maybe it also had something to do with the fact that Tony made it for me, so I knew it had to be safe.

As I neared the jumbo jet, I used my comm, “Tony, you out there?”

“Bri?” he sounded surprised. I saw him heading toward the airliner, “Why are you on comms?”

“On your left,” I flew faster so I neared him.

He looked over his shoulder and chuckled, “JARVIS gave away my secret, didn’t he?”

“Well,” I paused, not wanting to cry. “Yeah.”

“Um, kiddo, I know you probably came to help me, but I’m not really here.”

“Fuck,” I groaned, I had forgotten that he remotely piloted the suit. “It doesn’t matter, the President isn’t on the plane anyway. But there are people who need help, or they will die.”

“We'll figure out the Presiden thing after. Right now, we should help who we can. Let’s do this.”

I stayed outside the plane while Tony flew the suit on. When the door blew open and people started flying out, I went after the first one, grabbing her. Looking at her nameplate, I said, “Heather, please stop screaming.” She continued to freak out so I spoke louder, “Heather, I need you to calm down for a second. There are more people falling and the only way we can stop them is if we work together.”

“I’ll take the half on the left, you get the half on the right,” Tony said to me before taking off.

I headed toward the next person, “I want you to grab them. I’ll electrify your hand so it won’t open. Okay?” She nodded, “Good.”

We started collecting people, one after another. Because it was me and Tony working together, no one got close to the water like in the movie. The plane still exploded, but at least we saved the people who had been falling. They got placed gently into the water and cheered for us as we flew away.

“Good job, kiddo,” Tony said. “Now, go home, I don’t need to worry about...” A truck smashed into the side of the suit and for once I was glad that Tony realized he couldn’t do it all. He was still on the yacht with Rhodey.

“Sorry, Tony,” I said to no one. “I’m going to help you save the President and Pepper. You can’t stop me.”

I flew off toward the docks. It started to get dark as I flew. The distance between the plane and the docks wasn't too great, but it would still take me a while to get there, “JARVIS, can you call Natasha?”

The phone rang in my suit. She picked up, “Hello?”

“Hey, Nat.”

“Brianna, I’m sorry I’m not there yet.” She spoke quickly, “But I got in touch with Steve. He was finishing up debriefing in Washington DC, so he should be back in the morning to help you.”

I laughed sadly, “Well, that's a few hours too late, unfortunately.” I sighed, “Everything is happening tonight. I just wanted to say thank you for calling Clint for me. Also, if anything happens to me, will you…”

“No,” she said firmly. “Don’t talk like that, Brianna. You’re going to be fine.” She sounded out of breath, almost like she was running, “Maybe you shouldn’t go.”

I saw the docks in the distance and angled myself toward them, “Sorry, Nat. I’m already here. Just, if something happens, tell Steve that I… Tell him that I want him to be happy. To find someone worth loving. I know that I'm a good distraction, but he deserves to find someone strong. Someone he can share everything with. Someone like...” I stopped before I could tell her that she was better for him than me, "Just tell him not to mourn me too long, okay?"

“But…”

“Promise me,” I pressed her. I was fairly confident I should be fine, but this being my first real fight, I didn’t know what would happen. In the movie, they didn’t have me to interfere with things. So, I didn’t know how it would alter the timeline, nor the progression of events.

“Alright, just… be careful.” She spoke softly, “We need you.”

I closed my eyes as I hovered in the air, a little way from the dock. JARVIS spoke, “The other suits are nearing your position, Miss Mayfield.”

“I gotta go, Nat.” I didn’t acknowledge what she said to me. I knew they ‘needed’ me to stop Thanos. But I couldn’t think of another reason. Even in the suit that Tony had made for me, I was still just a girl. I hung up the phone and had JARVIS call Clint. When he answered, he remained silent, “Clint, it’s Brianna. I’m here.”

He spoke so softly I almost couldn’t hear him, “I see you on the screen. There are about another twenty to thirty blips approaching fast. I’m assuming they are more suits.”

“Yeah, JARVIS is controlling them.”

“I’m perched out of the way. I have plenty of arrows.” He paused, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Just, shoot the bad guys, Clint. Both you and Nat can bitch at me later for joining a fight I’m not ready for,” I hung up the phone and then flew down to the end of the dock where I saw Tony and Rhodey sneaking up. I landed behind them and raised the mask, “Hey guys.”

Rhodey turned around, a hand to his heart, “Jesus fucking Christ. Don’t sneak up on a guy like that.” He looked at the purple suit, “What are you doing Tony? You can’t just give those out to everyone.”

“Well…” Tony started to say.

I interrupted him, “Guys, not now. We need to rescue the President and Pepper.” I looked at Tony, “Pepper has been injected with Extremis. She’ll be okay, she survives this. I promise." I looked from Tony to Rhodey, "The President is inside of the War Machine suit, hanging from the metal beams. They're planning on executing him publicly.”

“Alright, I’ll get Pepper, you get the President,” Tony said to Rhodey. He looked at me, “You need to leave. I can’t be worried about you too. I need at least one person to be safe.”

“Fuck that, Tony. I've got the suit, I'll be fine. I'm not going to run away and hide while you two are in danger.” I looked up to the metal beams, “I’ll get the President. Your suits are almost here…”

“How…”

“Remember programming them to be remote-controlled by JARVIS?” I asked as he nodded. “Well, there was a problem with the wiring after the explosion, I fixed them with the help of JARVIS. But Barton is here too, perched somewhere. He’s got a tracking device because I added trackers to each of the suits. That’s how I know they’ll be here any second. Clint will help you guys kill the bad guys, or at least distract them long enough so we can win this.”

Tony did not look happy with me, “We’ll discuss this later.” He looked at Rhodey, “Guess you and I are working together.” Looking at me, he said, “Go after the President. But if you need help, let us know.”

I raised myself in the air and shut the mask, “Will do.”

I took off as the other suits arrived, glad for the distraction. All the bad guys were too busy with the others to notice me as I flew past them. I would have to thank Tony for making my suit purple and black. It blended easier into the night. When I neared the President, I hovered in front of him and raised my mask, “Mr. President.”

“Ma’am,” he nodded at me. His eyes went to the ground where a fire roared, “You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous for someone so young.”

“I’m not that young, Mr. President. I’m twenty-six,” I chuckled. “If you want, I can leave you here.” 

I started to fly away, amused as he said quickly, “No, please. I’m sorry, I say things without thinking sometimes.”

I went to the first wire, “Brace yourself, Mr. President.” I grabbed onto his suit and shot a beam at the wire. We swung to the side and I used my blasters to steady us as I shot the other one.

Rhodey came up to us, “I’m going to need that suit, Mr. President.” He climbed out of it and Rhodey went inside. Before shutting the mask, he said to me, “Good job, kid. I’m going to get the President out of here. You should leave too.”

“Okay,” I lied as Rhodey took off with the President. There was no way I was leaving without Tony. Once he had disappeared, I started to fly towards the fighting.

I punched and kicked random guys, using my blaster on them. I heard a loud cracking noise and looked up to see a large metal beam that had broken and was swinging quickly toward me. A voice in my ear yelled, “Brianna!” I felt it hit my side, and my suit started malfunctioning. I could barely keep my eyes open, and the propulsion spun me around in circles.

“JARVIS,” I said, my words slurring from the impact. The screen flickered as I started to fall. As I neared the ground, I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened.

I crashed to the ground, the suit fracturing around me and falling off. I could still hear fighting going on, but I was far enough away that I didn't have to worry about being found. I laid there, pain radiating through my body. My vision started to blacken, my last thoughts of Steve as I passed out.


	22. Chapter 22

2013

Beep. Beep. My eyes fluttered open, shutting again when the bright light hit them. Slowly, I opened them again and looked around, seeing that I was in a room I didn’t recognize. There was too much machinery to be a hospital, but I still had an IV in my arm, and I laid on an uncomfortable bed with metal sides. Looking around, I could feel myself growing more and more confused. Nothing hurt. But after the fall, and me punching a wall, I should have been in at least some amount of pain.

A male voice said, “Brianna, good. I’m glad you’re finally awake.” I looked over and saw Bruce standing there in a lab coat, “How are you feeling?”

“Like…” I coughed my throat dry and scratchy. He gave me some water, which I gulped down. Clearing my throat, I started again, “Much better than I should be feeling.” I tried to push myself up but felt too weak to do it. “What’s going on? Where am I?”

“That’s…” Bruce stopped, then looked to the door of the room. “Let me go get Tony. He wanted to be informed the minute you woke up.”

He left the room and I just lay there, trying not to freak out. I couldn’t think of any reason for him to not tell me what had happened unless it was really bad. Then I had a thought, one that worried me more than I care to admit. I looked down at my hand. The ring was gone. I closed my eyes, trying not to cry. Dr. Strange hadn’t given me much to go on to stop Thanos. But he had said I was wearing it when we won, so I felt like I needed it.

“Bri,” Tony’s voice was so quiet, I almost didn’t hear him. My eyes popped open and I saw both him and Steve standing at the foot of my bed.

Steve walked over and grabbed my hand, “You had us worried, sweetheart.”

“What happened?” I asked, my voice still rough from disuse.

Tony sighed and grabbed a chair, setting it by my bed so he would be at eye level with me. He sounded so upset when he spoke, “You got hit by a metal beam that broke in the fight. The suit protected you as you fell, but it wasn’t designed to hold up against that much pressure. The beam hit it so hard that the suit shorted out, making you spiral out of control. I was fighting Killian when you crashed and couldn’t get to you right away.”

A tear rolled down his cheek and I reached out my other hand, which he grabbed, “Tony…”

“I was so scared, kiddo. Once I knew that Pepper was alright, I ran to you. Clint stood over you, protecting you from the few bad guys who were left.” His voice broke, “You’ve been unconscious for almost three months.”

“Sweetheart,” I looked over at Steve. He seemed just as upset as Tony, “Everyone was worried. Not just me and Tony. Apparently, you said some things to Nat before joining the fight that…”

“Did she tell you what I said?” I held out hope that she didn’t. My own self-doubt could be a cruel thing. But after suffering from depression for years before leaving my own reality, it was something that I had gotten used to. I still didn’t feel worthy of being a part of the team, especially after what happened. And I definitely didn’t feel worthy of being in a relationship with Steve Rogers. He was simply too good for me.

“Yes, I did,” she said from the door. I looked over and saw the bags under her eyes. The strain radiating from her face. When my eyes left her and went to the others, they had the same strain on their faces, “You told me if anything happened to tell him. I’m not going to apologize for that. But I really wish you hadn’t of made me do it.”

“Nat,” Steve said as he looked at her with soft eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, it’s mine,” I said softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been there. Everyone was right. I’m not a hero, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Hey,” Tony squeezed my hand then stood. Looking down at me, he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, “You helped a lot. The President actually gave us commendation medals for what we did, saving him. He’s got one for you as well, but you were… Well, you’ve been unconscious. He wants to see you though, as soon as you’re well enough.”

I released Steve’s hand so I could look at my fingers again, “Where’s my ring?”

Steve reached into his pocket and pulled it out. Grabbing my hand, he slipped it onto my middle finger. “We had to take it off. You broke both arms, some ribs, cracked your skull and fractured your femur in the fall. Because of the cast, we had to take it off or it could have cut off your circulation from swelling.”

“Fuck,” I said softly, interlacing my fingers with his. I looked at Tony, “I’m sorry, Tony.”

“Don’t be sorry, kiddo.” Tony cupped my jaw, rubbing his thumb on my cheek, “You’re fine now. Pepper has had Extremis neutralized, I got the shrapnel removed from my heart, Capsicle here has been avoiding Fury sitting by your side practically every day.” I looked at Steve who was glaring at Tony.

Nat said, “Tony, we should give them a few minutes alone.”

Tony looked at me, then at Steve, “Alright. Steve, will you tell her about the new living arrangements?”

“Sure thing, Tony.”

As the others left, Steve helped me sit up, using the bed to prop me up. He nudged my leg out of the way and perched on the edge of the bed. He looked so sad. The lines on his face were more pronounced than when I saw him last, “Sweetheart, I know that you were trying to help, but you scared the living daylights out of me.”

“I…”

“No, just listen.” He sighed, “I’m not going to be one of those guys who tells you that you aren’t allowed to do something. You could get hurt doing something mundane like crossing the street. I’m proud of you for going and helping Tony like that.” He placed a hand on either side of my torso on the bed, leaning down so he was inches away from my face, “It’s just that when I thought I’d lost you… I haven’t been that scared since the train when Bucky fell.”

I reached up and grabbed his head. Pulling him down, I placed a soft kiss on his lips, “I’m sorry.”

He sat back up, “No, don’t be sorry. I’m not angry with you for helping. You had the suit, it protected you the best it could.” Steve grabbed my hand in his, rubbing his thumbs on my palm, “But, if you’re going to help out, you need training. Nat and I have been talking, and we plan on teaching you to fight and use weaponry. Clint will teach you to shoot a bow and arrow, as well as use a sword. Maybe some martial arts as well. Nat will teach you to shoot a gun and hand-to-hand combat.”

“And what will you teach me?” I said softly. “It seems like they will be teaching me everything I need to know.”

He smiled, “Sweetheart, all three of us are going to be teaching you to fight. We each have different styles. Nat is more… creative in her fighting technique. Clint has the advantage of being trained in several different martial arts styles. I will teach you what to do when an opponent has superior strength.” His eyes turned sad again, “I just want to make sure that you’re safe.”

I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. In the three months I had been out, he must not have gotten a haircut because it was a lot shaggier. And he had a beard, which definitely made him look more like a lumberjack. It wasn’t just the movies that made him look that way. However, he was a hot lumberjack. “Steve, I don’t know if I should fight anymore. I could have made things worse.”

“But you didn’t,” he placed a kiss to my palm before putting it on his chest. “Do you feel that? It’s as steady as a rock. Feel it as I say that I want you to do this, but only if it is what you want as well. I’ve never been more proud of anyone than I am of you. You had no training, other than the little bit of self-defense Nat showed you. Tony hadn’t even shown you how to use the suit, and yet you still managed to save six people as they fell from the plane. If you hadn't been there, they could have died.”

“They would have been fine.”

“You don’t know that.” He glared at me when I opened my mouth to argue, “I know you are going to say that they were fine in the movies. But sweetheart, this is real life now. Someone could have died. You will never know if it would have been different because you were there. And whether they would have been fine or not, you still helped.”

I gave him a small smile, “I guess so.”

“But I am mad at you for one thing.”

My voice came out soft and small, “What?”

“You told Nat that I needed to find someone worth loving. Someone strong. You told her that you only thought of yourself as a distraction for me.” He didn’t seem too upset with me, just sad that I would have said those things, “I get why you wouldn’t want me to mourn you for too long, but the rest… Sweetheart, you are strong, stronger than you know. Physical strength isn’t the only kind of strength. Do you know anyone else who would give up their entire life to help people they had never met? I don’t. You came here, and since being here, you’ve brought us all closer together. If I had met Tony without you, I probably would have decked him.”

I laughed lightly, “Yeah, Tony can be a lot to handle.”

“Seriously, Brianna, you are worth loving. You are strong. But the biggest thing, you are not just a distraction until something better comes along.” He reached out and cupped my cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a tear as it rolled down my face, “I care for you, Brianna, more than I ever did for Peggy. I know we don’t get to spend much time with one another, but that’s going to change. I’ve already told Fury that I’m not spending all my free time on base. If he needs me for missions, I’ll go. But I’m spending the rest of my time doing things that make me happy.”

More tears rolled down my cheeks, but I had a big smile on my face, “You really feel that way?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” he leaned down and gave me another kiss, this one deep and lingering. When he pulled back, he finally started to look a little happier, “I don’t know if we’ll be together forever. But right now, you make me happy and I can’t imagine anyone else in my life. Okay?”

I nodded, “Now, what’s this about a new living situation?”

“Damn,” he stood and ran a hand through his hair. Scratching his beard, he scrunched his eyes closed and sighed, “We’ve all moved into Stark Tower. That’s actually where we are now. In the remodel, Tony put in apartments for all the Avengers, as well as a few extra. He’s assuming that there will be more of us.” He looked at me and I nodded, “We emptied out your apartment and moved everything here, including the case with the stones.”

“Can I go see it?”

“Can you stand on your own?” he asked. I shrugged. He helped me up but kept an arm around my waist. I swayed a little bit, but managed to stand, “Maybe you should take the wheelchair, just in case.”

“How about, if I can’t make it you can carry me? I don’t weigh that much, and I know you can lift almost two thousand pounds. At least, Captain America from the comics could lift that much after the serum.”

“Fine,” he sighed.

I pulled the IV out of my arm, and Steve took off his jacket, slipping it onto me so I wouldn’t be cold. Slowly, we made our way out of the lab and to the elevator. Stopping at the floor with the balcony, Steve made me get off so I could go and see everyone first.

Everyone was hanging out, sitting on massive leather couches. Tony had changed the main floor from private office space to a lounge area. Couches dominated the main area of the floor, and where the bar used to be sat a fully functional kitchen. The large windows were still there, allowing us to see out over the city. Everyone stopped talking as we walked in.

Clint was the first one to come over. Steve’s hand left my back as Clint wrapped me in his arms. He held me tight enough that I could tell he must have been worried, “Don’t ever do that again. I thought you were going to die on me.”

My voice came out muffled because my face was in his chest, “I’m sorry.”

He pulled back, “It’s fine. I’ve just lost so many people, I really didn’t want to lose one more. I’m just glad that you are alright.”

The next person to come up to me was Thor. He was dressed in typical Midgardian fashion, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he held Mjolnir. He held out the handle to me, “Want to hold it?”

I whispered, “I don’t think I should. I’m not…”

He stepped closer, wrapping my hand around the handle, but he didn’t let go, “When I lost the hammer because I did something stupid and lost my father’s trust, I thought my life was over. But when it came back to me, I realized that I had always been worthy. Maybe you just need to remember that you are worthy, little one.”

I shook my head and he took it away, “Maybe later, Thor. We need to talk anyway, about Jane and the Aether.”

“It’s too late,” he said, voice full of sorrow. “Jane is fine, but she has already been possessed by the Aether and had it extracted.”

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, knowing that his sorrow was because he had lost Jane out of his life. “I’m sorry, Thor.”

“It’s okay, little one.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Sif wanted me to have the Aether taken to the Collector for safe-keeping, but I remembered that it was one of the six legendary objects my father had told me about as a child, along with the Tesseract. Because the Tesseract was so important, I brought the Aether to you as well.”

I pulled back, “Really?”

“Yes, Brianna. You are worthy of Mjolnir, you have my complete trust.”

“This is sweet and all,” Tony said as he walked over with a big grin on his face. “But, you need to go see your apartment. It’s right next to Cap’s, so you guys can canoodle all you want.”

My face flushed, “Tony…” He came up to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I could tell that he was still upset about my being out of it for so long. I rubbed his back and said, “You know, you really tore me up when your house exploded.”

He pulled back, a questioning look on his face, “What do you mean?”

“The message you left me on the server. When you said I was like a daughter to you.” I laid a hand on his chest, “I love you too, Tony. One day, you are going to make an amazing father. Actually, you make an amazing father now.” I hugged him again, “But I’m not calling you daddy. That would just be too creepy. And if you want to know why, I can tell you, but…”

He laughed loudly, “Don’t worry. I’m an expert on sexual fetishes. Please don’t call me daddy.” Tony whispered in my ear, “But you could call Cap daddy. I’m sure he’d love it.”

I flushed again and punched him softly in the arm, “Not funny, Tony.” I tapped his chest, “Just don’t leave more goodbye notes for me in suits. That shit isn’t fun to find.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not making you another suit.” He shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Maybe if I don’t give you one, you’ll stay out of harm's way.”

Steve came up behind me, placing a hand on my back, “Tony, I’ve already told her that we’re going to train her how to fight. If she wants to help, I’m not going to stop her.”

“Nor am I,” Natasha said.

“Me either,” Clint added.

Bruce stepped up next to Tony, “I don’t think you should fight either, but then again, I don’t think any of us should. However, if you are going to join us, I agree with Steve about you getting trained.”

“Yes, little one,” Thor boomed. “And you will come to Asgard, to get a weapon worthy of your greatness.”

“My what now?” I asked, my brows meeting in the middle of my forehead in confusion.

“Mjolnir is spoken for, but we have many other legendary weapons on Asgard.” He spoke softer, “And Loki would like to see you, as well. He wishes to make amends for the pain and suffering he caused.”

"I know when I've been beaten," Tony said good-naturedly. "But I'm still not sure I should make you another suit. Watching you fall out of the sky once is more than enough for me."

“Alright, can I see my room now?” I swayed and yawned. “I just got out of a coma, a sandwich and a fluffy bed would not be turned down right now.”

Steve wrapped his arm around me and picked me up bridal style, “Alright, sweetheart. I’ll show you to your room.”


	23. Chapter 23

2013

Steve carried me to the elevator, up a couple of floors, and down the hall. There were a couple of other doors on this floor, each with a name on them. The first one we passed didn’t have a name, the next one said ‘Rogers,’ and when we got to the last one, it said ‘Mayfield.’

“You can put me down now,” I said softly. “I think I can stand, at least long enough to get inside and to the bed.”

Steve frowned down at me, “But I like holding you.”

The corner of my mouth quirked to the side in a half-smile, “And I like you holding me. But I’d really like to see the apartment, and I think I’ll see it better from a lower level.” Reluctantly, he put me down but kept his arm around me in case I started to sway again. I forced myself to remain upright, even though my energy was nearly depleted, “So, how do I get in?”

“Stark put in sensors on the door handles. It will only open for those it’s programmed to accept.” As I wrapped my hand around the handle, he added, “Right now, the only person assigned to your room is you. If you want to add people, you will need to talk to Stark.”

The knob twisted easily and I pushed open the door. As I walked in, I tried to take in everything at once. Dark hardwood floors, light blue walls, a gigantic white couch in the middle of the living room. There was also a small kitchen in the living room area. Not big enough to cook a feast in, but big enough to cook for one or two people.

My next thought was for the case, “Where did you guys put the stones?”

Steve steered me over to a wall that had my painting on it. He looked down at me, “Don’t worry, I’m the only one who saw the painting and the fact that there is writing on the back. As much as it pained me not to, I didn’t read it once I realized what it was.”

“Really?” my eyes widened in surprise. “You really didn’t read any of it?”

“Well,” he flushed a little and looked away. “I started to read it, but I only read the first little bit under the heading IM 2010. Once I realized it contained notes on what happened and what is to come, I stopped reading.” He turned back to me and grabbed my shoulders, looking down at me serious, “I only want to know what the future holds if it is necessary. I don’t want to have to worry about what tomorrow may bring when I can live in the present right now with you. I've always felt you should live for today, not for a future that may or may not happen.”

He let go and turned back to the painting, “Anyway, you just pull the painting to the side and there is a handprint sensor, numeric code lock, as well as a voice recognition lock.”

I pulled at the frame and it swung to the side. I could see the writing on the back of the picture that I would have to find a way to cover. Having someone accidentally see it could have consequences that I didn’t want to deal with. “What’s the code and the phrase I’m supposed to say?”

Steve flushed again, “The code is my birthday, although that can be changed. Stark just thought it would be funny. The phrase…” He put a hand over his face and sighed, “I’m pretty sure it’s ‘game over man, game over.’ Although, I’m not sure why it would be that.”

I laughed, my entire body shaking with mirth, “He remembered.”

“Remembered what?”

“We had a discussion early on about movies and music, and I told him what my favorite movie was. He didn't believe me at first, because what girl likes those kinds of movies. But yeah, my favorite movie of all time is  _ Aliens _ .” At his confused look, I laughed again, “Don’t worry, since it apparently exists here, you’ll be watching it with me. I honestly didn’t know if it would or not, but Tony making that quote my passphrase is just awesome.”

I put my hand on the sensor, typed in 07041918 with the other, then said, “Game over man, game over.”

There was a loud clicking noise, then a feminine robotic voice said, “Please stand back.”

We both moved away from the painting and from what seemed like nowhere, a portion of the wall swung open to reveal a small walk-in safe. I moved forward, using the wall as support since Steve just stood there, letting me go in by myself. Not that he could have fit in there with me, it was too small of a space. On a platform inside, sat the case. Sitting next to it, a metal and glass enclosure that a red glow emanated from.

I felt drawn to the red glow. Reaching out, I caressed the side of the container, not realizing what I was doing. Steve cleared his throat, “Sweetheart, what are you doing?”

I shook my head, my thoughts clearing. “Sorry, it just overwhelmed me a little bit.” I opened the container and reached inside, pulling out a red stone, “This thing could cause a lot of trouble.” Opening the case Tony had built for me, I put it into one of the slots. Three down, only three left to find and keep out of reach of Thanos. As I closed the case, the draw of the stones lessened and I sighed in relief. Once I left the safe and shut the door, it dissipated entirely.

Steve must have seen the confusion on my face, because he said, “Stark made the safe thicker with vibranium and lead, as well as some other things he thought would safeguard against the radiation leakage.”

After I put the painting back in place, I went over to Steve, wrapping my arms around him, “Bedroom?”

“This way,” he led me to the only other door. The bed inside was the same one from my apartment, but Tony had given me nightstands and a dresser to match. On the dresser sat the two framed pictures of Steve and Bucky, as well as the fancy box I had found to house his stuff.

Picking up the box, I sat down on the bed and patted the space next to me. Once he sat down, I handed it to him, “This is yours.”

He took it from me, “What do you mean?”

“Remember how I found your coat and the pictures in the pawnshop?” he nodded. I smiled, “Well, this was in another box. I actually bought it first, because I knew it must belong to you.” My face burned, and I could tell that it must be beet red, “I do like you for a lot more than the fact that you are Captain America, but before I actually met you, I was just a fan. I saw these items and knew I had to have them.”

He opened the box, delight in his eyes when he saw the medals and stuff that went on his uniform. Inside the box, I had put the other envelope, not wanting to read it in case there was something personal meant for Steve or Bucky in it. Steve picked it up, turning it over in his hands. Carefully, he opened it and read the letter. As he read, tears welled in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. All I could do was rub his back as he read it.

Once he finished, he put it down and dropped his face into his hands, breathing deeply to try and halt the flow of tears. After several minutes, he looked up at me, “Thank you.” He handed me the letter, “You can read it if you want.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, not wanting to intrude on something that personal. He just nodded, so I took the letter and read.

_ Mrs. Rogers, _

_ My name is Peggy Carter, I worked very closely with your son, Steve. I just wanted to make sure that you knew what a hero he was. The things that Steve did, we couldn’t have done them without him. He saved over a thousand men on his first mission. And that was without backup, without official authorization. Your son is the best man I have ever met. I feel extremely lucky to have had the time with him that I did. _

_ I wish you could have seen him, Mrs. Rogers. The men he rescued, they looked up to him so much that when another mission came up, they all volunteered to go with him. A small group of them joined together, and they went on their last mission together as a group. Because of the heroic actions of your son that day, only two men died. James Barnes and your son. Bucky’s death was in no way Steve’s fault. I know that he died thinking it was, but I have the reports from the others on what happened, and there was no way Steve could have saved Bucky. _

_ Instead, Steve saved millions by crashing an airplane loaded with weapons of mass destruction into the Arctic. He may not be remembered for what he did, but that would only be because the government won’t publicize it. But, please know that your son died a hero. I’ve sent a similar letter to Mrs. Barnes, but I’m worried that she won’t take it as well as I know you will. _

_ Steve told me the reason that he always stood up to bullies, the reason that he always got back up. It’s because of you. He remembered that when he was younger and your husband… Well, you told him something that really stuck with him. He asked you why you didn’t just stay down because he didn’t want you to get hit again. You looked at him and said, “Because, and you listen close, Steven. You always stand up.” You are the reason that your son turned out to be the man he was. You are the reason that Steve Rogers saved all those people. _

_ I know it hurts to lose your son, but remember that your son died doing what he thought was right. He died saving millions. And if you can talk to Mrs. Barnes, tell her the same thing, I think that would help her out a lot. Steve talked about how she wasn’t as strong as you, even though he had nothing but love for her. He worried that if Bucky died during the war, she wouldn’t survive it. So please, if nothing else, just be her friend. Maybe it will help you both. _

_ When I was going through his things, which I’ve included in this package, I found a letter Steve had written for you but never got to send. I’ve included that as well. _

_ Respectfully, _

_ Peggy Carter _

The next page was a letter from Steve to his mother. When I looked up at him questioningly, he just nodded and I continued to read.

_ Hey Mom, _

_ I miss you more than words can express. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch as much as I promised, but there hasn’t been a lot of time. When Buck got captured, I knew I had to go and find him. I know I promised you that I would do my best to stay out of harm's way, but I couldn’t just leave him there. But, I got him out of there, and all the other men that had been captured as well. The feeling when we walked back into camp… I didn’t do it for the recognition, mom, you know me. But, I will admit that it felt good knowing I had done that. I’m going on another mission soon, one that will be more dangerous than the last. But I want you to know that I love you. You always taught me to stand up for what I believed in, to never back down from a fight. Well, I’m not backing down from this fight. I love you to the moon and back, mom. I know that you’ll be okay if I don’t make it home, but I still need you to hear me when I say that you mean the world to me. Thank you for raising me into the man I’ve become. I love you. _

_ Your son, _

_ Steven _

I put down the pieces of paper on the bed and moved closer to Steve, wrapping my arms around him. Resting my head against his chest, I started to cry quietly. He rubbed my back not saying a word. We just sat like that for several minutes, comforting one another.

Pulling back slightly, I looked up at Steve, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he ran a finger down my cheek and under my chin, tilting my head up. “Peggy thought I was dead. And my mother... “ he sighed. “She was a strong woman. She would have been fine.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to my lips, “Now, lie down and get some sleep.”

“Yes, sir,” I said cheekily as I took off his jacket. Standing, I forced myself not to sway as I took off the clothes they had put on me in the lab. As I stood there naked, I looked down at him, “I guess I’ll just go to sleep.”

I crawled onto the bed on all fours, climbing my way up to the pillows. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw him staring at me, a hungry look in his eyes. He growled, “You just woke up.”

I turned over on my back and spread my legs, bringing a hand between my thighs. Rubbing my clit, I moaned, “Yeah, and your point? I assume you have a point.” I stuck my tongue out at him as I rubbed myself, “Come on, Steve. I’ve been unconscious for three months. I’m horny and I want to feel you in my arms.”

One finger slid inside me and I hissed. It felt so good, but it would have felt better if it were him. He just sat there, staring at me as I played with myself. Another finger slipped in and I started fucking myself, moving the fingers in and out. He groaned.

“Come on,” I moaned. “Get naked.”

It didn’t take much convincing. Steve stood and stripped down. Climbing onto the bed, he situated himself on top of me and pulled my hand out of my pussy. He slid two of his own fingers inside of me, “Fuck, you are so wet.” Moving them in and out, he kissed me hard, “I shouldn’t be doing this right now.”

“Yes, you should,” I ran my fingers up and down his back. Grabbing his butt, I pulled him toward me, “Fuck me, Steve.”

His fingers disappeared and he lined his cock up at my entrance, “No.” Slowly, he slid inside of me, “I’m not going to fuck you, sweetheart.” He kissed me gently, “I’m going to make love to you.”

He pushed all the way into me and it was fantastic. Any time with Steve felt better than anyone I had been with before. He knew all the right places to touch me, all the right ways to move. But this was different. He was gentle and loving, his eyes staring into mine as he moved in and out of me. It wasn’t slow, but it felt like so much more than just a quick fuck.

We came together and Steve collapsed on top of me, keeping himself upright just enough that he didn’t squish me. Rolling to the side, he pulled me against him, “Now, get some sleep, sweetheart. Tomorrow is another day.”


	24. Chapter 24

2013

My arm flew up, connecting with Natasha’s forearm as she punched at me, “Good job.” She kept throwing punches and kicks. I blocked most of them, but my body was peppered with bruises from learning to fight. Both old and new.

After about thirty minutes of training, she stopped, “You’re doing good, Brianna.”

“Yes, you are,” I looked up and saw Tony standing there. He had his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face, “I guess I should have given you more credit. You could definitely kick my ass… out of the suit at least.”

“You wanna try me, old man,” I joked, holding my hands up in fists. “You go put on your armor, and we’ll go a round or two.”

He held up his hands, “No thanks. I don’t fancy having Cap kicking my ass for hurting you.”

I fell to the ground, allowing myself to relax. For the last few months, the training had been rigorous. In the morning, Steve would train me, using his considerable strength as a weapon. He always pulled his punches and kicks though, not wanting to hurt me. But he wanted to train me how to hold my own against people who were larger and stronger than me.

After training with Steve, Clint would take me to the firing range that Tony had built to teach me how to fire a bow and arrow. I didn’t see the benefit in learning this skill, but at least it helped to build my upper body strength. In three months, I could actually see definition in my arms and upper body that had never been there before. Nevermind the fact that I had lost my last little bit of baby fat from all the training.

Then Clint would take me the gym, where he would teach me martial arts moves. The moves helped me learn blocks as well as how to avoid getting hit. Not to mention that I got to learn a bunch of different kicks. My legs had always been the strongest part of my body, so Clint wanted me to learn as many different ways to use them as possible.

When that was over, Natasha would take me back to the firing range to shoot guns. I would never be as proficient as her, but I could hit the center of the target more often than not. Which quite honestly, made me feel more secure than anything else. If I ever needed to point a gun at someone, I would be able to hit them, not just threaten. Because the worst thing you can do with a gun is to point it at someone and not be willing to fire it.

Then Natasha would take me back to the gym and teach me how to fight dirty. Steve and Clint both abided by strict rules of engagement that were honorable and noble. But sometimes, you needed to do what other people would least expect. That’s what she taught me. How to get people where it hurt. How to trick them into thinking you would play by their rules, then shaking those rules up and going for the kill spot.

All this happened before lunchtime. They had me getting up at six in the morning, every single day to train. On the weekends, it was only Steve and Natasha training me, because Clint left Stark Tower. Everyone else assumed that he was going on missions, but I knew that he went to visit his family. Natasha was the only one he had told, but I never told her that I knew, so I just pretended to be as clueless as everyone else.

Only every once in a while did Steve have to leave to go on missions. After laying down the law with Fury, he had gotten more time to spend with me. I’m sure it pissed Fury off, but I didn’t care. We grew closer with every passing day. I knew that I loved him, but I wasn’t sure if I was in love with him. He was perfect for me, in every way, but I couldn’t help but think that there was someone out there who was better for him than me.

Sometimes, I would catch Natasha looking at him wistfully. They had become really good friends over the course of the past couple of years, considering all the missions they went on together. But when she didn’t think I was looking, I would see her looking at him almost as if she wished she could be with him. I knew that one of these days I was going to have to make a decision, but I figured it could wait until a later date.

Neither Steve nor myself had said those three little words that would push our relationship to the next level. Nor did we live together. I mean, we spent practically every night in bed together, but we still felt more like really good friends who fucked, than romantic partners.

Sitting up, I looked at Tony, “Can you get everyone together for a meeting? I think it’s time to give everyone an idea of what’s to come. I know it won’t happen for a few years, but I’m tired of keeping everyone in the dark.”

He nodded, “Sure thing, kiddo. Fury too?”

“Please.” I sighed, “ I really don’t want to invite him, but I know he needs to be here. I’m sure we won’t be able to get Thor, but…”

“Actually,” Tony grinned. “Thor is upstairs. Apparently, he wants to ‘assist in the training of the little warrior,’” he used air quotes. “His words, not mine.”

“You know what, we need Carol too.” I stood, “I don’t feel right talking about the fate of the galaxy without her. Which means putting the group meeting on hold.”

“So, do you want me to call Fury, or…”

“Nope, I’ll do it. I still have his card from the day he told you about the Avengers initiative. It would be better coming from me. I don’t care if he hates me. It wouldn't be right if he hated any of you guys.” Turning to Natasha, I said, “Thanks for the workout.”

“You almost hit me a couple of times,” she smiled softly and tossed a towel over her shoulder. “Give it another few months and I bet you’ll actually land a punch.”

Back in my apartment, I picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card. It rang a few times before it was answered, “Fury speaking.”

“Fury, it’s Brianna.”

His voice lowered and I could tell he was angry, “What do you want?”

“You could be a little nicer you know,” he and I didn’t have the best relationship. My being on the helicarrier, the things I’ve said to him, the fact that Steve preferred to spend his time with me… I could go on and on about the things he didn’t like. “You’re supposed to be one of the good guys.”

“Yeah, and you’re not supposed to have this number.” He sighed, but changed his tone to be more cordial, “What can I do for you, Miss Mayfield?”

“Um, you’re not going to like it.”

“I never like anything that has to do with you. But I’m listening, so tell me quickly. I have a meeting in ten minutes I need to be at.”

“I need you to contact Carol. She needs to know about…”

“No.” He said it forcefully, “I’m not contacting her just because you ask me to. There is nothing happening that she needs to come back to Earth for.”

“Fury,” I tried to sound convincing. “I need her here. There is something big coming, and it will affect more than just Earth.”

“Still no.”

I sighed, loudly, “I didn’t want to have to do this, Fury. I really don’t want you to hate me more than you do.” I paused and took a deep breath, “The way I see it, you have three choices. You can contact Carol and have her come back to Earth to meet with everyone so I can explain what’s going to happen in a few years. Choice two, you can give me the beeper she altered and I’ll contact her myself. This way, you don’t have to be afraid of any perceived anger she will have toward you.”

I didn’t speak for long enough that he asked, “And what about choice three?”

“I wouldn’t suggest that one. Because choice three is you doing nothing. And if you do nothing Fury, you are worse than the evil that is coming our way.” My voice turned low and menacing, “If you choose that path, if you choose to ignore the fate of the universe because you are too pigheaded to do what’s right, you won’t like the outcome.”

“Threatening the head of SHIELD, not a good idea,” he sounded just as threatening as I had. “I don’t take kindly to people trying to tell me what to do.”

“This isn’t a threat, Fury, it’s a promise. If you sit back and do nothing, I will hunt you down. I’m not a hero, I won’t just spank you and send you on your merry way. I will kill you, slowly and painfully. Carol needs to be here, and she would agree with me on that. It’s your decision, but choose wisely. Two out of the three choices will keep you safe. The third one, I won’t show you any mercy.”

“And this is supposed to make me comply?” he sounded genuinely shocked. “Do you really think that threatening my life will make me do what you want?”

“No,” I laughed lightly. “As a matter of fact, I expect you to do nothing. But if I went around the world, found all the people that I know to be heroes and polled them after telling them what is coming, they would agree with me that Carol is needed. She is more powerful than anyone other beings on this Earth. We need her, whether you believe me or not.” I sighed, “As I said, you can contact her, or I can. But please, don’t just do nothing. Because I will find a way to make you pay, even if it loses me everything.”

I could feel myself growing angrier with my desperation, “I’ve already lost everything once, Fury. Losing what I’ve gained, that will make me more dangerous than you could possibly understand. Just… call Carol. Have her come to Earth to meet with everyone. I swear on my life that it will be worth it.”

“And if it’s not?”

“You can lock me up and throw away the key.”

“Really?” he asked, shock evident. I wish I could have seen his face at that moment because I bet he looked dumbfounded, “You will let me lock you up if I don’t like what you have to say?”

“Yes. But there is one caveat. You actually have to listen to what I have to say. Not just pretend. I’m not giving up my life for you to be an asshole.” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, “I give you my word.”

“I’ll think about it.” He hung up the phone and I took mine, throwing it across the room where it shattered against the wall.

“You’re not letting him lock you up,” Steve said from behind me.

“How long were you standing there?” I didn’t turn around, I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his eyes.

“Long enough.” He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, resting his hands on my stomach, “We can do this without Carol, whoever she is.”

“No, we can’t.” I laid my hands over his, “We really need her, Steve.” I pulled away and headed into my room, “I’m going to take a shower and go greet Thor. Apparently, he made a special trip out just for me.”

As I got into the shower, Steve came into the bathroom and sat on the toilet lid. He just watched as I washed my hair, “Brianna, sweetheart…”

“No, Steve.” I rinsed the soap out of my hair, “I said what needed to be said. Fury will decide what the right move is for him. I hope it’s helping, but if it’s not…” I shrugged then continued to wash my body, “I will do what needs to be done. Even if you don’t agree, I will follow through with what I told him.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I shut off the water and climbed out, grabbing a towel to wrap around my body, “Pain is a part of living. I will die to protect those I care about. I will die to protect the future of this reality and the future of the friends I’ve made. I know you understand. You did the same thing back in the 40s.”

“But threatening Fury…”

“If you really listened to the whole conversation, you would know it was a promise, not a threat,” I brushed out my hair and then braided it before moving to the bedroom. Getting dressed, I sighed and fell onto the bed. Lying back, I put my arm over my eyes. I felt the bed dip as he sat next to me, “I don’t really want to hurt anyone, Steve. But I will.”

“I think Fury will come around,” he said softly. Moving my arm, I looked at Steve. He smiled down at me, “Fury is a tough old bastard, but he wants what’s best for Earth. He’ll contact her.”

“I hope so.”


	25. Chapter 25

2013

“Thor,” I yelled as I ran toward the blonde giant. Jumping into his arms, I laughed as he twirled me around.

“You seem to be in a much better mood,” he said as he set me down.

“Yeah, well, having friends and a… Steve, makes a girl happy.”

Thor tossed his hammer, spinning it in the air before catching it, “Want to…”

“No,” I said it definitively. “I don’t want to know if I’m still worthy or not. It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re damn right it doesn’t matter,” Tony said as he entered the room. “You’ll always be worthy in our eyes, kiddo. So, did you talk to Fury?”

“She threatened him,” Steve said.

Sighing, I fell onto one of the couches, not looking at any of them. Steve sat next to me, Tony and Thor on another one of the plush couches. I kept my eyes on my hands, “I need to tell you guys everything. Or, at least enough that you will know what’s coming. But we need Carol Danvers here as well.”

“Who is this Carol Danvers?” Thor asked. He set his hammer down on the coffee table, “How come I have not heard of her?”

“Sorry Thor, but none of us know. Apparently, Bri and Fury are the only ones,” Tony didn’t sound upset, he just spoke matter-of-factly. “There are quite a few things that only she knows, which is why she is going to tell us, once Fury calls Carol back to Earth.” He gave me a look, “Right?”

Steve threaded his fingers with mine, giving me strength. I looked up, “I plan on telling you guys where I came from, why I’m here, and what’s coming. I’m still not telling you everything, because certain things must come to pass in order for some other things to happen. If these things didn't need to occur, I would tell you how to stop them, I promise. But I’ll tell you everything I can. Please believe me when I say that we need Carol. I’d be willing to bet that she is even more powerful than Thor.”

Thor chuckled, then started laughing full out. We all waited for him to calm down, then I said, “Thor, she was irradiated by an engine powered by the Tesseract. She’s pretty fucking powerful. I know you’re the god of thunder and everything, but she’s… it’s hard to explain.”

Shaking his head, Tony frowned, “That’s all fine and dandy, kiddo, but how long are we going to wait to see if Fury contacts her, or if she even shows up?”

“I don’t know, not that long.” I stared at mine and Steve’s intertwined fingers, tracing patterns on the top of his hand with my other hand, “We need a couple of other people here, but I’m not sure we can get them. I’m definitely not sure if they’ll come.”

“Who do I need to find?” Tony whipped out his phone to take notes on.

“Do you have a way to contact people in Wakanda?”

“Wakanda?” he seemed surprised. “Who could we possibly need from there?”

“T’Challa and his father, the king of Wakanda. Shuri would be nice too if she can come.”

He shook his head, but put the names on the list, “I don’t know how you know these people, but I’ll try. They’re the ones who supplied the vibranium for your safe, so I should be able to get them a message.”

“We also need to see if Natasha can hack into SHIELD and find Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.” This time, Tony didn’t say anything, “They’re being held by… by HYDRA inside SHIELD. They have powers, and quite honestly, Wanda is pretty freaking powerful. They work for the bad guys, but I know how to get them to our side.”

“Copy, have her search for them.”

“I know we won’t get them in time for the meeting, but we need to rescue them. At the very least, we need to give them the option of doing good.”

“We’ll do what we can,” Steve said, squeezing my hand tightly. “We won’t let the innocent suffer if we can help it.”

“Cap, if they’ve been a part of HYDRA, they're not innocent,” Tony said. “As a matter of fact, I would think that would put them as far from innocent as we can get.”

I turned to look at Tony, “Would you say Nat is a bad person?” 

“No, but…”

“Would you say that Thor is a bad person?”

“Hey,” Thor looked offended.

“No, but…”

“Then you can’t say that Wanda and Pietro are either.” My voice softened, “They don’t know any better, Tony. They’ve been basically raised by HYDRA their entire life. They deserve to have a chance at a normal life.” I gave Thor an apologetic look, “I was only referring to your desire to kill all the frost giants that led you to be stuck here on Earth. That’s it.”

He looked sheepish, “That was pretty awful of me.”

Looking back at Tony, I added, “Nat has done some pretty awful things as an assassin. Even she has said that she has red on her ledger that she would like to wipe away. But that doesn’t mean she is a bad person.”

“I would beg to differ,” Natasha’s husky voice came from behind us. She moved around the couches, until she sat on the coffee table next to the hammer, “I definitely wouldn’t say I’m a good person, Brianna.”

“Let’s just agree to disagree.”

“Can you find these people in the SHIELD database?” Tony showed her the info on Wanda and Pietro.

“I can look,” she stood. “When do we need it?”

“The sooner the better.” Looking at her, I tried to convey how grateful I was without actually saying it, “It would be helpful to have Wanda here for the meeting of the most powerful people on this planet. She will be able to confirm my story.”

“Wait, what?” Tony gave me an incredulous look. “She knows too? What the fuck, kiddo?”

“No, she doesn’t know,” I rolled my eyes. “One of her powers is telepathy. She can read my memories, see what I’ve seen.”

“I’ll get right on that.” Natasha gave me and Steve a soft smile, before leaving the room.

Steve tensed a little when she looked at us, but I ignored it. Instead, I stood and went over to Thor, “So, Loki wants to see me?”

“Yes, little warrior. He wishes to make amends for the trials he put everyone through. But I will not allow him back on Midgard. The government would seek to incarcerate him for his crimes,” he stood and picked up the hammer. “Come, let us depart.”

Before heading out to the balcony to call the Bifrost, I looked at Steve and Tony, “There are a couple of other people we need to tell, but they aren’t heroes yet. Their stories are the things we can’t change, not that I would even if I could. I’ve got one person I will contact myself, once we know when things are happening.” I leaned down and gave Steve a quick kiss, “I’ll see you soon.”

 

We walked down the bridge toward the palace on Asgard. It was even more glorious than in the movies. Although, the bridge seemed just as long. I looked at Thor, “Do we really have to walk the whole way?”

He laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist, “No, little one, we do not.” He spun his hammer and we took off, flying toward the entrance.

Once we neared, he stopped and set me down. The guards at the gate bowed to Thor, then opened the large doors. We walked through. I just looked everywhere, speechless at the splendor. When a group of women started walking toward us, Thor pushed me out of the way and through a doorway. He held me against the wall, a hand over my mouth.

“Thor, honey, is that you?” a female voice called.

He grimaced, “My mother.”

My eyes widened, “Wait, she’s not dead?”

He pulled back, just as surprised as I was, “Why would you think…”

Footsteps neared our hiding place and a woman who didn’t look older than forty, with long curly blonde hair, stood there looking at us, “Thor, why are you hiding?”

I pushed Thor away and bowed slightly, “Your highness.”

“Please, call me Frigga.” She smiled, “Any friend of Thor’s is always welcome.”

Thor looked down at the ground and mumbled something unintelligible. I just smiled, “We were actually coming to see Loki.”

“You weren’t supposed to…” Thor started to say, stopping only when I smacked the back of his head.

“Loki?” she looked confused.

“Yes, your high… Frigga. I know Loki from…”

“Midgard, mother,” Thor finally said. “They met on Midgard. Loki has been asking after her, I thought it time to bring her here as he has been requesting. After all, he did help save Jane.”

Frigga’s eyes narrowed, “I will never understand why that girl threw away the love of my son.” She reached out and cupped Thor’s cheek, “Be nice to your brother, he is the only sibling you have.”

My eyes widened again, but I kept my mouth shut. Frigga looked at me like she wanted to ask, but instead, she turned to leave. “You should get your lady friend some clothes, however. The people of Asgard are not used to such garb. And you need to as well, Thor. No running around in Midgardian clothing. I don’t care what you do down there, but up here you will respect your father and his rules.”

“Yes mother,” I could hear the petulance lacing his voice. But he still smiled softly as she left.

I smacked him again, “You haven’t asked about Hela?”

“There hasn’t been a good time.” He started walking, fast enough that I had to jog to keep up, “Father has been ill and I do not wish to make it worse.”

“And you can’t ask Frigga, because why?”

“I do not wish to make my mother unhappy, either.”

Grabbing his arm, I stopped him and forced him to look at me, “I understand.”

His face softened, “Let’s go find Loki.”

We walked down several hallways, then down a set of stairs. The area we were in seemed familiar, but it wasn’t until we reach a room that had open walls that hummed with energy that I realized where we were. Loki stood there inside the room, staring at us stoically.

“Brother,” Loki said, not looking at Thor, but at me. “You brought her.”

“I said I would,” Thor walked closer to the energy wall. “Please, brother. You need not pretend with us.”

The Loki standing there disappeared and I could see him with his back against the wall, sitting on the floor. The room was in shambles, things broken and thrown every which way. “Does this make you feel, brother?” Loki spat out the words. “Seeing me like this. Seeing me broken.”

I walked up to Thor, “Lower the shield.”

“No, Brianna. Loki is a trickster, he…”

“Lower. The. Shield.” I glared at him, “You brought me here to see him. I refuse to talk to him through the force field.”

Thor nodded and walked off to the side. When the shield came down, I walked in, only to have it raised behind me. I rushed over to Loki’s side, sitting next to him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, holding him against me, “I’m sorry.”

He started to shake as sobs wracked his frame. This Loki wasn’t someone I recognized. After he invaded Earth, Thor had put him in a prison much like this. But that was in the movies. What I couldn’t understand was why he had put him in here, after he had helped to save Jane.

I ran a hand down his hair, over and over again, whispering soft nothings in his ear. Slowly, he started to calm down. Once his breathing evened out, I looked at Thor through the shield, “Why is he in here?”

“Loki tried to…” he stopped before finishing.

“What my brother is trying to say,” Loki pushed himself up, pulling away from my comfort, “is that he can’t trust me. After what happened in Midgard, he thinks I’m a danger.” Loki stood, swaying. I stood quickly, putting myself under his arm, “He won’t believe me when I say I was controlled.”

“Brother, you cannot expect me to believe you would not try to take over Midgard.”

“Would I try to control humans?” Loki chuckled, the sound filled with disgust, “Yes, I would. But I would not want my rule to start out that way. I would be a benevolent god.”

“Loki,” I said softly. I could hear the pain in his words as he spoke. He might have believed them, but I knew that Loki was a better person than most gave him credit for.

“No, Brianna, my brother is right to imprison me. I’m a danger to everyone around me. Isn’t that right?” He pulled away from me and staggered over to the force field. Placing a hand on it, he grimaced from the electricity coursing through his arm, “You should see the things I have, brother. Maybe you would believe me then.”

“Loki, Thanos…” I started to say. But when he spun around and looked at me wide-eyed, I stopped.

“How do you know that name?” Loki sounded terrified. He ran over to me, gripped my shoulders tight, and started to shake me, “How do you know that name?”

I just reached up and grabbed his face in my hands, “It’s okay, Loki. You’re free of him. I won’t let him hurt you, not again.”

“You can’t stop him,” his eyes were wild, almost as wild as they were the day on the quinjet. “He’s going to win. Nothing can stop him.”

His fingers were still digging into my arms, but I hid the pain even though I knew I would be bruised. Steve would just have to understand. Because if he harmed Loki for this, he wouldn’t be the man I cared for. I pulled Loki’s face down to mine, pressing my forehead against his, “Listen to me, Loki Odinson, I may not be a god, but I will protect you. You are coming back with me to Midgard.”

“Little one,” Thor sounded angry. “You cannot take him back.”

I ran my fingers over his face again, before breaking out of his hold and walking over to where Thor stood, “You are just lucky there is a force field between us, Thor. Loki was mind-controlled during the attack on Earth. It was not his fault. I don’t care what you think. Now, either you let me take him, or I will not be happy with you.”

He sighed, but went over and released the force field, “Will you accept responsibility for him?”

I didn’t even hesitate, “Yes.”

“Are you sure?” Thor looked between me and Loki, who stood there as if he didn’t believe what was happening. “If you accept responsibility, that will mean should something else happen, it will rest squarely on your shoulders.”

“I cannot let you accept responsibility for me,” Loki said softly. “Leave, I will stay here.”

I walked back over to him, “No. You deserve better.” I caressed his cheek, “Just please, don’t let me down.”

Loki stood up a little straighter, “I will do my best.”

“That’s all I ask,” I turned back to Thor. “When can we leave?”

“I could use a…” Loki started to say.

At the same time, Thor said, “You still need to get…”

Thor stopped, “You first, brother.”

“I could use a bath and a change of clothes.”

“Use my room. That way the guards won’t notice you.”

Loki changed his appearance so he looked like Thor, “Should I go like this?”

Thor sighed, “Just stay out of the way of the guards, Loki. We’ll be to the room in less than an hour.”

Loki changed back and gave me a soft hug, “Thank you.”

Once he left, Thor glared at me, “I hope you know what you are doing, little one. Loki is not to be trifled with.”

“I know.” I looked toward where he had left, “I hope I do as well.”

“Now, we must go get your weapon.” He held Mjolnir out to me, “But first…”

“No, Thor.”

“Yes, Brianna.” Thor gave me a gentle smile, “It will cheer you up more. Besides, carrying around Mjolnir will make people not wonder who you are. You are a warrior, little one. You are worthy.”

He kept holding it out to me, so I grabbed the handle. When he let go, I could still hold it up. He was right, it made me smile. I tried to hand it back, but he just started walking back to the stairs. I followed, trying to hide the fact that I had the hammer. But still, people walking around the palace saw and started talking to one another.

It didn’t take long before the pack of women found us. Frigga did not look pleased. “Thor,” her voice came out chilly. “Why does this… girl have Mjolnir?”

“Mother,” he spoke with authority. “She is worthy.”

“This…” she waved at me. “This girl,” she practically spat out the words, “is worthy?”

“Yes, mother.” Thor moved closer to her, “Have care how you speak, mother. She is my friend.”

“If your father…”

“If my father what? If he weren’t in Odinsleep? My father is the one who created the rule that only those who were worthy of the power could wield it. Brianna can. Therefore, she is worthy.”

She still looked disgusted. I tried to hand it back to Thor, but he ignored me. She smirked, “You would do best to remember that you are a simple ant and I could squish you beneath my boot should I choose.” Frigga picked up her skirt and walked off.

I looked at Thor, dumbfounded, “Is she… is she always like this? I mean I’ve seen her… uh, the thing I’ll tell you about later… but she always seemed like the perfect mother. Kind, loving, gentle…”

“My mother is many things, gentle is not one of them.” He took Mjolnir back from me and started walking off at a quick pace. Not so quick that I had to job to keep up, however. He sounded sad, “She’s been like this for many years. I do not know why. Maybe it is because I have no given her children yet. Or maybe it is because of the foolish things I have done to try and prove to my father I am worthy of ruling Asgard one day.”

I placed my hand on his arm as we walked, “Thor, you are more than worthy. You will make a great king one day.”

“You have seen this?” he sounded hopeful.

“Yes,” when he had been king, he had done a wonderful job. It was only after the snap that he grew too depressed to rule. But there was no way I would ever tell him that.

We neared another room, this one guarded by two men wearing heavy armor. When they saw Thor, they bowed, “I’m sorry, my lord. But Frigga has ordered that none are to enter.”

“You will let us pass.”

“I’m sorry, but Frigga…”

“I am Thor Odinson, heir to the throne,” he moved closer to the men, his voice coming out in a growl. “You will let us pass.”

“Thor, it’s okay,” I put my hand on his back, trying to calm him down.

“No, it’s not.” His eyes started to spark with power, “You will let us pass.”

The guards looked at each other. One of them said to the other, “I think I must relieve myself. I shall return in fifteen minutes.”

Once that guard was gone, the other looked around, “I believe I hear someone calling my name.” He smiled at Thor, “Don’t go in there, my prince. I would hate to come back and find out that you had defied your mother.”

“Thank you,” Thor said softly. Once the other guard left, he opened the door, “Come, we must be quick. I do not wish them to get in trouble for my defying my mother.”

We entered and I saw weapons lining the walls. In the middle of the room sat more racks of weapons. Near the back of the room, there was a pedestal with a maroon pillow. Atop of that pillow sat two daggers.

Thor picked them up and handed them to me, hilt first. As I took them, he smiled, “They like you.”

“How can you tell?”

“If they did not, they would fly back to their pillow. Over the years, many have tried to wield them. We’ve even had contests to see if any were worthy.” He patted his chest, “Of course, I could hold them, but with Mjolnir, I did not need them. These daggers were not meant for me.”

I stared down at them. They looked like ordinary daggers, but they appeared to be made of the same metal as Mjolnir. Along the blades, symbols were carved. I looked up at Thor, “Do they have names?”

“Look at the end of the handles, little one.” As I turned them so I could see, he said, “The one with the white gem is Wolf. The other, with the grey gem streaked with red, that is Winter.”

My eyebrows raised as high as they could go, “Are you joking?”

“No,” he sounded confused. “Why would I joke?”

“It’s just…” I stared down at them. “White Wolf and Winter Soldier.” The daggers hummed audibly when I said those words. I nearly dropped them, “Thor…”

“Even I did not know their full names, little one. They were meant for you.” He went over to the wall and grabbed a leather belt with two dagger holsters. Strapping it to my waist, he positioned the holsters so I could sheath them easily.

As I slid the daggers in, the sound ceased, “I’m so confused.”

“They will help protect you.” He listened closely, “Come we must leave. Let us get Loki and depart for Midgard. It would be best if my mother did not see us leaving with Loki.”


	26. Chapter 26

2013 

“No,” Tony crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at me. “He is not coming in here.”

I began to get irritated. Loki made mistakes, even before he was controlled he had done things that were wrong, but New York was not his fault. Nothing that he had ever done made him irredeemable. I glared right back, “Tony…”

“No, don’t Tony me. You can’t just bring in strays. Especially that one.”

“I can move out,” I offered. I didn't want to leave, but I would in order to protect him. “But I’m not sending him back to Asgard.” Moving away from Loki, I said softly so only Tony could hear, “You should have seen him. I know what happened during New York, I’ve seen it and lived it. The shit you had to deal with after… Tony, I understand why you don’t want him here. But, we’re better than that. We need to be better than that. Helping people, that’s the right thing to do. That's why they call you a hero.”

Tony sighed, rubbing his face with his hand, “Fine. But if he breaks anything…”

“I’ve already accepted responsibility for him.”

“What?” Tony’s hand fell away from his face. He looked at me, shocked, “You did what now?”

“I accepted responsibility for his actions,” I said almost too softly for him to hear. I looked down at the ground, shuffling my feet from side to side, “It was the only way to get him here and away from that place.”

“What exactly does that entail?”

“If he does anything, it becomes my fault.”

“Goddammit, Brianna,” Tony sighed loudly.

I pressed a kiss to his cheek and walked away, not wanting to argue with him. When Tony got going, he could lecture for hours. Instead, I grabbed Loki’s arm and dragged him toward the elevator.

He seemed depressed, quite unlike the Loki who is always playing games on people. In the elevator, I rubbed my hand up and down his arm, trying to offer comfort. Once we reached the correct floor, I brought him to my apartment. Pushing the door open, I smiled when I smelled dinner cooking.

“Honey, I’m home,” I called. Steve had been catching up on pop culture references, and we were currently watching _I Love Lucy_.

He came out of the kitchen wearing only an apron and his boxer briefs. When his eyes saw me, he grinned from ear to ear. But when he noticed Loki behind me, his expression turned sour, “What is he doing here?”

“Stay here,” I whispered to Loki. I marched over to Steve and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him into the bedroom. Shutting the door, I pulled out some sweatpants and a t-shirt, tossing them at him, “Put these on.” He looked hurt, so I walked over and gave him a kiss, “I’m sorry, lover. This was really sweet of you to greet me like this, looking all sexy and having food ready.”

I let my hands trail up his sides to his back. When they reached his head, I pulled his face to mine and kissed him deeper, “I’m sorry I sprung Loki on you like this, but he needs our help. I’ve already had this argument with Tony, and I’m sure I’ll have it with everyone else as well once they find out what I did. But please, don’t make me have it with you. I need at least one person on my side.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t trust him.”

I sighed and pulled away, “Yes, I can. And before you get all up in arms about it, he’s not staying here. I’m putting him in the last apartment at the end of the hallway.” My eyes welled with tears, so I looked up trying to stop them from falling, “I couldn’t leave him there like that, Steve. He was so… hurt, and broken.”

“You can’t fix everyone.” Steve pulled on the clothes. He didn’t sound happy with me, “I get that you want to change things, but even Thor would say that Loki can’t be trusted. You need to think about this before…”

I’d had enough. I pulled open the door to the bedroom, went to the front door, and pointed, “Go.”

“Brianna,” Steve reached for me, but I pulled out of the way.

“No, Steve. Don’t try to placate me. You don’t understand why I do something, that’s fine. You disagree with me, that’s also fine. But you don’t get to try and tell me how to do things. You’re not my father.”

Steve didn’t say anything, just left the apartment. As I shut the door, I could feel tears falling down my face. A hand touched my back, surprising me. When I turned around and saw Loki, I sighed. He looked worse than before, “You should have left me in Asgard. They are all right, you know. I can’t be trusted.”

“Loki,” I tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “I trust that you will do your best. That’s all I care about.” I put my hands on his shoulders, “Those men out there, I love them dearly. But they don’t know me very well if they think I am going to send you back to that horrible place. You don’t deserve that. No one does.”

“I’m not worth this, Brianna,” the pain in Loki’s voice broke my heart. “You should not sacrifice your friends for me.”

“I’m only going to say this once, so listen closely.” Reaching up, I grasped his head in my hands to make sure he looked at me, “You are worthy. You may not be able to wield Mjolnir, but that is because of some archaic bullshit that your father… sorry, your adoptive father laid on it. He will never think you are worthy because of where you came from. But Loki, I don’t care that you are a frost giant. Nor do I care about the things you may have done in the past. Do you want to know how I can tell you are a good person? You love your brother, with your whole heart. I’ve seen you sacrifice yourself for him.” 

The tears started rolling down my cheeks again. So many deaths in _Infinity War_ and in _Endgame_ , and I cried at all of them. But when Loki tried to trick Thanos and died, I had been heartbroken. It had been the turning point when I realized that in his heart, Loki was not a bad guy, simply misunderstood.

Loki rubbed at the tears that fell down my face. I forced a smile, “You are a good man, Loki Odinson. I’ve seen it and I won’t let anyone else try to tell me different.” 

Pulling away, I walked him to the touch screen next to the door. Tony had installed them so we could decide who we wanted to have access to our rooms. I punched in my personal code, then grabbed his hand, placing it on the screen. JARVIS said, “Loki Odinson has been added, Miss Mayfield.”

“Thank you.” I turned back to Loki, “Now, you will be able to get into my apartment whenever you need me. And I mean, whenever.”

His eyebrows rose, “You trust me that much?”

Nodding, I gave him a soft smile, “I know you, Loki. You may be a trickster, but you are not evil. Now, let me show you to your room.”

After putting away the food that Steve had made, I got Loki settled into his room, making sure that only he and I were on the access list and left him watching a telenovela. He must have understood Spanish because he kept laughing and yelling at the screen.

Downstairs, I went into the kitchen, glad no one else was around. As I poured myself a glass of orange juice, Natasha said from behind me, “I found the Maximoff’s.”

Surprised, I dropped the bottle on the ground, splashing juice everywhere. “Dammit, we need to get you a bell.”

She had a grin on her face, “That kind of defeats the purpose of being stealthy.”

Sighing, I grabbed a towel and started mopping up, “Where are they?”

“A base about a two-hour flight from here. I’ve got a quinjet on standby, Clint’s flying.” She looked so happy to have found them, probably because it meant she could kick some ass, “We need to get going if we’re going to make it back before dinner.”

“Should I get…”

“No,” Natasha forced the word out. “Leave Steve here. He would be helpful, but right now we need stealth and a soft touch. Having that giant, or the tin can, come with us would just take away our element of surprise.”

Patting my belt, I checked that the knives were still there. “Do I need anything?”

“No, I’ve got a gun on the plane for you that we can add to the collection you seem to be amassing.” She glanced down at the knives and held a hand out, “May I?”

I took out Wolf, handing it to her. When she touched it, I could sense that it wasn’t happy but since I wanted her to hold it, the dagger stayed in her hand. It seemed to vibrate anxiously, but she didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Natasha flipped it a couple of times, then handed it back. Once it touched my skin, the vibrations ceased and it seemed to purr contentedly. She smiled, “Those are well-made blades. You should bake Thor a cake for giving them to you.”

“How did you…”

“You went off with Thor, came back with Loki and new daggers. Where else would you have gotten them?” She leaned forward and said softly, “Do you trust Loki to behave?”

I knew that she was asking a serious question, so I took a moment to truly consider if I trusted him or not. Speaking with just as much gravity, I said, “Yes.”

“Good enough for me.”

“Wait, that’s it? No yelling, no telling me I’m being stupid?” I couldn’t believe that Natasha wouldn’t agree with everyone else that Loki was a danger to us and the rest of humanity.

“You have given me no reason not to trust you. Especially after what I found out about Wanda and Pietro.” She shuddered, “You were right, we need to get them out, and soon.”

“Let’s go then.”

As we flew to the location, Natasha got up and went to the back, bringing back a small case. She handed it to me, “This is for you. It’s custom made from a guy I know. Will shoot straighter than anything you can get off the shelf.”

I opened it on my lap and saw a black gun laying in it. Strapped to one side was a holster. The gun itself looked like any other, but the fact that Natasha had it made just for me made me feel guilty. I looked up at her, “Thanks, Nat. You didn’t have to do this.”

She just sat back down and strapped in, “You’re right. But I wanted to. I haven't had many girlfriends... Okay, I haven't had a girlfriend ever. It's nice to have someone to talk to other than those imbeciles back at the tower.”

Clint sat in the front of the quinjet, basically ignoring us the entire time. I don’t think he was upset or anything, we just had to fly at a lower altitude in order to not file a flight plan. That required him to pay more attention to the altitude of the plane. One wrong move and we could end up in the side of a mountain, especially with where the base was located. Apparently, HYDRA thought that putting a base in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains was a good idea.

After adding the gun and holster to my belt, I looked at Natasha, “Can I ask you something?” She nodded, “What do you think of Steve?”

Her cheeks went pink, but her expression never changed, “He’s a great guy. You guys are really cute together.”

“Have you ever thought…” I stopped and turned away. I didn’t really want to ask her if she thought about him that way, because I could tell that she did. But if I were being honest with myself, I never really let myself get too close to Steve because I knew there had to be someone better for him than me. I am a nobody, just a girl trying to fix a wrong. At least with Natasha, she could battle alongside him.

“Have I ever thought, what?” she spoke softly. 

When I looked at her, I could tell she knew what I was about to ask. But still, I didn’t really want to say the words out loud, “You know what, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just save Wanda and Pietro, we can pretend I didn’t say anything.”

She reached over to me and grabbed my hand, “Are you guys doing okay?”

“We’re fine, except for the fact that he doesn’t trust my judgment with Loki.” I shrugged, “I just… I don’t know how to say this. I love him.”

“Anyone who looks at you two together can see that,” her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“No, that’s not what I mean. I love him, but I’m not in love with him.” I pulled out Winter and ran my fingers up and down the blade, the happiness exuding from the blade calming me, “He’s the best guy I’ve ever met, and the sex… I’ve never had better. He’s my best friend. It's just that I worry that he’s not as happy as he could be with me. I… I just want him to be with someone who makes him feel like he’s the only guy in the room. Someone who will make him their whole world. I don't think I...”

“We’re landing,” Clint yelled back, stopping me from saying anything else.

I stood and walked back to the ramp, happy that I had a short reprieve. Natasha is stubborn, so I knew she would be revisiting this topic after we got back to Stark Tower. The ramp lowered and I got out Wolf as well, holding a dagger in each hand, “Let’s go get them out of there.”


	27. Chapter 27

2013

Creeping along the hallways of the base, there were not that many guards around. Getting into the building had actually been a lot easier to do than we had thought. Natasha had taken out the one guard at the door, then it just opened right up. Not very secure for a HYDRA facility. Most likely, they thought that a remote location would keep them safe. Little did they know that information would be deep within the SHIELD servers. Serves them right for infiltrating SHIELD.

Natasha started out in front of me, but when I looked into a room, her footsteps stopped. I stilled, not sure what had happened. Looking out of the doorway, I saw Wanda with her hands glowing red on either side of Natasha’s head.

Natasha’s face went slack, and I knew that she was in a dream world, seeing her childhood in the Red Room. Wanda saw me and grinned, her eyes crazed. She stalked forward, her hands glowing. When I didn’t run, her look turned to confusion, but she still advanced on me.

I held out my hands, “Wanda Maximoff.” 

She stopped advancing but kept her magic at the ready. “How do you know who I am?”

I took a step toward her, stopping only when her eyes narrowed, “You can read memories, right?” She nodded, “I want you to read my memories. See what I’ve seen.” I put down my hands and took another step forward. “You can give me a false vision if that would make you feel better. Let HYDRA capture me and my friend. You can be responsible for the horrible things they will do to us. Or, you can read my memories and see the person I know you can become.”

I sheathed Wolf and Winter, then took off the belt, laying it and the weapons on the ground. Without them, I would be defenseless against her. But just in case the ring blocked her powers, I took it off and put it into my pocket. Both of my hands went behind my back and I stepped closer to her, “It’s up to you, Wanda. You are the one with the power, not me.”

The red disappeared from her hands as her face softened. She walked up and placed her hands to each side of my head, “Think of what you want me to see.”

I closed my eyes, taking myself back to my earliest memory of watching Wanda and Pietro in  _ Avengers: Age of Ultron _ .

_ Wanda and Pietro stood side by side, their hands intertwined. The base shook as mortars hit the building. A voice said over the loudspeaker, “Report to your stations immediately. This is not a drill. We are under attack.” _

_ They stood in a large room, off to the side. A man walked in, saying in a German accent, “Who gave the order to attack?” _

_ A young man pointed at television screens, “Herr Strucker, it’s the Avengers.” _

_ Another soldier walked up, “They landed in the far woods. The perimeter guard panicked.” _

_ “They have to be after the scepter,” Strucker said. “Can we hold them?” _

_ The first man said, “They’re the Avengers.” Clearly not believing they could be stopped. _

_ Strucker walked past him, “Deploy the rest of the tanks. Concentrate fire on the weak ones. A hit may make them close ranks.” _

_ A scientist said to him, “Let’s show them what we’ve accomplished. Send out the twins.” _

_ Wanda and Pietro looked scared as they stood there, waiting for an order to do something. Strucker started giving a speech, while everyone looked on, “We will not yield. The Americans have sent their circus freaks to test us. We will send them back in bags.” He yelled, “No surrender.” _

_ All the soldiers yelled back, “No surrender.” _

_ Hawkeye took a shot at a building shooting at him. When he turned away to escape the blast, a blur ran and caught the arrow. So he took aim again, but Pietro raced around him, knocking him to the ground.  _

_ Pietro walked past, a smirk on his face, “You didn’t see that coming?” _

_ Back in the base, Steve said to Strucker, “I’ll put it right under illegal human experimentation. How many are there?” _

_ Wanda came out from a doorway, her eyes bright red. She shot a bolt of red at Steve, sending him flying down the stairs. As he ran back to the landing, she back out of a set of double doors and they closed. _

_ Deep inside the base, Tony was looking around. He found the alien creature that HYDRA had been hiding after the battle at New York. Wanda came up behind him, putting her hands on either side of his head. Sending him a vision of everyone he cared about dead. The Avengers, his family, injured and dying after a great battle. _

_ When he came out of the vision, Wanda stood there with a pained expression on her face after seeing what he had seen. The devastation, the pain of losing everything. When Pietro showed up, she put up her hand and shook her head.  _

_ The setting changed, no longer in the HYDRA base. Instead, they were in the ruined city of Sokovia after the battle between the Avengers and HYDRA. Wanda and Pietro were walking through the crowd. They walked into a building. _

_ Wanda said, “Talk. If you’re wasting our time…” _

_ Ultron sat in a chair, facing away from them, “Did you know this church is in the exact center of the city? The elders decreed it so that everyone could be equally close to God. I like that. The geometry of belief.” He started to stand, covered by a blanket, “You’re wondering why you can’t look inside my head.” _

_ “Sometimes it’s hard.” She stood there, confident in her abilities, “But sooner or later, every man shows himself.” _

_ “I’m sure they do.” The blanket fell away, showing Ultron in all his robot glory, “But you needed something more than a man. That’s why you let Stark take the scepter.” _

_ “I didn’t expect, but I saw Stark’s fear. I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct.” _

_ “Everyone creates the thing they dread,” Ultron began walking around the room, arms behind his back. “Men of peace create engines of war. Invaders create Avengers. People create smaller people?” He looked confused for a second, then laughed, “Children. I lost the word, there. Children, designed to supplant them, to help them end.” _

_ “Is that why you’ve come? To end the Avengers?” _

_ “I’ve come to save the world. But also… yeah.” _

_ The scene switched again, this time they were in a warehouse. The Avengers on one side, with Ultron, Pietro, and Wanda on the other. One by one, Wanda infected the Avengers. First Thor, then Steve and Natasha. Thor was sent to Asgard, where he saw his people, blaming him for their death. Steve saw Peggy, telling him that the war was over and he could go home. Natasha saw her own upbringing. _

_ The pain, suffering, agony. All brought on by the visions she gave them. But the worst was when she got a hold of Bruce. Sending him into a vision that turned him into the Hulk. Sending him into a rage that caused him to destroy parts of a city. _

_ A lady doctor stood over a tub, creating what would become Vision. Ultron was hooked up to it, transferring his consciousness into it. Wanda looked at the tub, “I can read him. He’s dreaming.” _

_ The doctor corrected her, “I wouldn’t call it dreams. It’s Ultron’s base consciousness. Information noise. Soon…” _

_ “How soon?” Ultron asked. “I’m not being pushy.” _

_ “We’re imprinting a physical brain. There are no shortcuts.” _

_ Wanda stopped listening to them talk, instead, focusing on the man being created. The mind that she could read. She got a vision of the world being destroyed and stepped back, screaming in pain. _

_ Pietro walked up to her, trying to calm her down. But still, she shook. Her voice came out shaky, “How could you?” _

_ “How could I what?” _

_ “You said we would destroy the Avengers?” She looked like she was about to cry, “Make a better world.” _

_ “It will be better.” _

_ “When everyone is dead.” _

_ “That is not…” Ultron started to say. Then he said, “The human race will have every opportunity to improve.” _

_ Pietro turned, “And if they don’t?” _

_ “As Noah,” Ultron said. Referencing the biblical flood that wiped out life on the planet. _

_ “You’re a madman,” Wanda said, unable to believe that his plan was truly to destroy everyone. _

_ Ultron started his big speech, “There were more than a dozen extinction-level events before even the dinosaurs got theirs. When the Earth starts to settle, God throws a stone at it and believe he’s winding up. We have to evolve, there’s no room for the weak.” _

_ As Ultron caressed the tank, Wanda sent her magic to the doctor, removing his control over her. She stopped the download, making it so he couldn’t transfer his consciousness into something that would be more powerful than himself. Pietro and Wanda ran and Ultron killed the doctor. _

_ The scene switched again, this time showing the attack on Sokovia that Ultron had planned. Wanda and Clint were in a building. She curled up on the ground, “How could I let this happen? This is all our fault.” _

_ Clint grabbed her shoulders, “Hey, look at me. It’s your fault, it’s everyone’s fault. Who cares? Are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know because the city is flying. We’re fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow, none of this makes sense.” He paused to loose an arrow out a hole, “But I’m going back out there cause it’s my job. Okay? I can’t do my job and babysit. Doesn’t matter what you did, what you were. If you go out there, you fight. And you fight to kill. Staying here, you’re good. I’ll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger.” _

_ They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Clint headed back out to the fight. Wanda sat there, terrified. Not knowing what to do. _

_ She came out of the building, her power exploding from her hands at the robots coming for Clint, killing them. The battle raged for several more minutes, then SHIELD showed up with their lifeboat flying ships. They started loading up all the civilians, getting them off of the flying city. _

_ All the Avengers stood together against Ultron and his army. Including Wanda and Pietro. They fought the robots, trying to keep them away from the center of the core. When everyone left to make sure there were no stragglers left, Wanda stayed behind to protect the core. _

_ Pietro sped in and Wanda said, “Get the people on the boats.” _

_ “I’m not going to leave you here.” _

_ “I can handle this,” she said, blasting a robot as it ran at her. “Come back for me when everyone else is off, not before. You understand?” _

_ “You know, I’m twelve minutes older than you.” _

_ She laughed, “Go.” _

_ There was a child that had gotten separated from its mother. Clint ran out to find the child, seeing him not too far from the boat. As shots started firing at them, Clint put his body around the child to protect them, but Pietro sped in front of the bullets, taking every single one.  _

_ Standing by the core, Wanda felt him die and screamed, power exploding from her hands. The anguish that she felt at losing her brother, you could see it written on her face. _

_ She stood on the bus where Bruce had thrown Ultron. He said to her, “Wanda if you stay here, you’ll die.” _

_ “I just did,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Do you know how it felt?” She used her powers to rip out his core, “It felt like that.” _

The vision ended and I backed away, tears rolling down my cheeks. I saw Wanda, staring at her hands, her face terrified at what she had just witnessed. “What was that?”

I wanted to reach out to her, but I wasn’t sure how she would react. I simply said, “It’s a vision of the future that could come to pass. But come with us, Wanda. Let’s get your brother and get out of here. I know you have it within you to be good. To save people instead of hurting them.”

She lifted her hand to Natasha’s head, bringing her out of her vision. Natasha pulled her gun, pointing it at Wanda’s head. As I bent down to pick up the belt and my weapons, she asked, “You alright?”

“I’m fine, Nat.” I walked over and laid a hand on her arm, “I know what you saw. I’m sorry for the pain you had to relive. But I believe Wanda was about to tell me where to find Pietro so we can get out of here.”

The gun lowered, an incredulous look on Natasha’s face, “How do you always manage to win over everyone?”

“I didn't mean to harm you,” Wanda’s voice broke. Tears started to well in her eyes, “I want to keep my brother from dying. Keep Ultron from destroying the thing that means most to me.”

“Ultron,” Natasha sounded confused.

“Long story,” I sighed. “Where is Pietro?”

“They keep him locked up. It’s the only way they can keep us here. He is too fast for them otherwise.”

Wanda led us through the base, using her power to send the guards into visions. The ones that she missed, Natasha knocked out with the back of her gun. My weapons stayed sheathed, but I could feel their desire for blood. Their desire to destroy the enemy.

When a HYDRA agent came out of a door behind me, without me realizing it, the daggers were in my hands. They both sunk into his stomach, the guy's blood running down them onto my hands. As he died, I felt the blades hum. Once their violent need was satisfied, they stopped seeming like they wanted to kill everything. But I kept them in my hands, just in case.

Natasha looked at the daggers and my hands. She looked worried, “Are you okay?”

“Let’s just get Pietro, Nat.”

It took another ten minutes, but we made it to his cell. While Natasha picked the lock, Wanda ran up to him, grasping his hand through the bars, “Pietro, these people are here to help us.”

He looked at us, at the blood on my hands and the gun next to Natasha, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I promise.”

Back at Stark Tower, we all walked in. Steve and Tony stood there, arms crossed over their chests. Both had an expression of disappointment on their face. Tony spoke, “Why didn’t you tell us you were going? We were supposed to help you.”

“Brianna,” Steve said, walking up to me. He looked more upset than Tony, “You shouldn’t have gone off on your own. You could have gotten hurt. One of us should have gone in your place.”

I had long since wiped the blood off of my hands, but I could still feel it clinging to my skin. Like a stain, I couldn't wash off. That’s when I remembered my ring. I pulled it out and put it back on. Instantly, I felt better, the call of the daggers lessening. I glared at Steve, “I get that you were worried, and you’re just being protective. But you’re not my father.” I looked at Tony, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you we were going. We made it out safe and sound, and we got the Maximoff’s.”

“Kiddo…”

“I said I was sorry,” I turned back to Wanda and Pietro. “Nat will show you to your spaces. Please, don’t run. We could really use your abilities in the upcoming battle.”

“Battle?” Wanda looked curious. “Is this what you showed me?”

I shook my head, “It’s worse. I don’t want to show you now, because you would have nightmares and I’m pretty sure that you don’t need any more of those.” I laid a hand on her arm, “But I will show you eventually. Because I will need you to testify that you see how horrible what is coming truly is. I’m not sure anyone will believe me otherwise.”

“Come on,” Natasha led them off toward the elevator. But before she left, she leaned close to me, “You and I, we’re not done. We’re going to finish the conversation about Steve.”

“Yeah, I know.” 

After she left, Tony gave me a hug, “I just worry about you, kiddo.”

“I am fine, Tony. Not a scratch on me.” I held up my arms as proof, “It was easier than expected, and I even killed someone. So all my training has been useful.”

“You killed someone?” Steve's voice rose in surprise. “That’s not what we are training you for.”

I could feel myself growing angry at him again. This was part of the reason that I couldn’t let myself fall in love with him. He thought of me as a woman who needed protection, instead of a woman who could take care of herself. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten, trying to calm down. “What exactly were you training me for, then?”

“Protection.”

“Protection for whom?” I opened my eyes and glared at him, “For myself? What? You want to keep me barefoot and pregnant, cooking and cleaning all day?” I laughed bitterly, “You guys are all heroes. And like you keep reminding me, I’m just a girl.” Walking up to him, I poked him in the chest, “Why are you even with me if you don’t trust me to take care of things? If you think I’m so weak that I can’t do anything? Huh?”

He grabbed my hand, “It’s not that I think you’re weak.”

“Ha,” I pulled away, not wanting to be comforted by his touch. “Then why do you treat me like a child?”

“Maybe if you didn’t act like a child…”

“Excuse me?” My hands balled into fists and I took a step closer to him, “I’m doing my best to save this fucking world. That’s why I’m here. If being with me is such a chore, maybe you should be with someone that can fight alongside you without you feeling the need to baby them.”

His eyes widened, “Brianna, sweetheart…”

I could feel myself starting to cry, so I turned my back to him, “Just give me some space, Steve. Please.”

He laid a hand on my back, “Brianna, please look at me.”

I shook my head, so he forcefully turned me around and lifted my chin so I had no choice. He looked sad, “Do you truly feel that way? That I treat you like a child?”

I shrugged, “Sometimes.”

“I’m sorry. You deserve better than that.”

Standing on my toes, I placed a soft kiss to his lips, “I care about you, Steve. But…” I stopped before I went any further. “I need to talk to Nat. Come to my apartment tonight, okay?” He nodded and I forced a smile, “Good.”


	28. Chapter 28

2013 

Upstairs, I went straight to my apartment. If Natasha wanted to find me, she knew where I slept. I went inside and saw a figure sitting on the couch in the dark. Turning on the light, I saw Loki sitting there, looking extremely depressed.

He looked up at me and tried to smile, “How was your excursion?”

“Well, we got what we came for.” I went over and sat down next to him, placing my hand on top of his. He wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, both too big on him. It felt strange to see him in anything other than his normal green and black outfit, “Are you doing okay?”

“I just,” he sighed. “I don’t understand why you brought me here. Everyone hates me, I’ve been nothing but trouble in the past. Your Captain America and Iron Man were right to tell you I was too dangerous.”

“Loki, look at me.” I waited until his eyes met mine, “You are deserving of happiness, just as much as any of the rest of us. You may mess up, but you are still deserving.” I leaned my head against his shoulder, trying to offer as much comfort and compassion as I could, “We brought someone in who has the power to be a great force for the wrong side if they so choose. But you know what, they decided to come with us. That’s the difference, Loki. It’s not what you do, it’s your true intentions that matter the most. I don’t believe that you are evil, any more than I believe the Pope is evil.”

He laughed then, the look on his face joyous, “I don’t know, that Pope is a pretty shady guy.”

I sat up and pushed him softly, “Are you feeling better?”

His face fell, but he nodded. There was a knock at my door and he stood, “Thanks, Brianna. My brother was right, you are a wonderful person.”

He left the room, letting the person who had knocked in. Natasha came and sat down next to me, giving me a funny look, “Loki?”

“It’s not like that, Nat.” I chuckled, “He just needs friends, that’s all. You didn’t see what it was like for him on Asgard. I honestly couldn’t believe that Odin and Frigga would keep him in those conditions.”

“After what he did to New York…”

“He was brainwashed.” My words came out harsher than I intended because I was tired of people treating Loki like just another villain. He may not have been the best person, but he wasn’t evil, “By the same guy that is…” Sighing, I leaned back against the couch, “You’ll find out with everyone else during our little mini-summit we’re going to have.”

“That’s another thing I needed to talk to you about.” She drew her legs under herself until she sat cross-legged, “Fury called, he contacted Captain Marvel. She said that she could be here in three weeks. He also wanted me to remind you that he had a cell ready for you. What did he mean by that?”

“Well, I promised him that if he didn’t like what I had to say, he could lock me up. That I would go willingly.”

“You did what?” she yelled at me. “Of all the stupid, inane things, you told him that he could lock you up if he didn’t like what you tell everyone. What were you thinking?”

“Nat,” I said softly as she glared at me. “If no one listens to me, we’re doomed anyway. It doesn’t matter if I go to jail if that happens.”

She sighed, “Fine, I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Turning, she looked at me, “Now, what the hell were you talking about on the quinjet? All this crap about you not being right for Steve.”

“You know exactly what I meant,” I looked at her face go from confusion to comprehension. “Steve needs someone in his life who he doesn’t have to worry about. Someone strong and capable.”

“Brianna, you are those things.”

“No, I’m not.” I looked down at my hands, twisting and turning them together, “I love Steve. I really do. But it’s not enough.” I turned so I looked slightly away from her, not wanting to see her reactions, “When I first met Steve, I told him I didn’t want any relationship we had to just be about sex. But do you know what it became? Exactly what I didn’t want. Now don’t get me wrong, sex with Steve is fucking fantastic, but I want more from a relationship than just good sex. I want a man who will stand by my side, no matter what, even when I’m wrong. Who won’t question me in front of everyone else.”

“But Steve…”

“He’s a great guy, Nat.” I rubbed my eyes, “I love him. I just wish that I was in love with him.” Turning back to her, I decided to just ask the question I had been avoiding, “What do you think of Steve?”

She flushed, “What do you mean? He’s a great guy.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” I reached out and grabbed her hand, “I think I’m going to end things with Steve. I love him dearly, he’s my best friend. But I want him to be happy. I want him to find a love that consumes him. Someone that brightens his day just by walking into the room.” And I want that for you, too. But I didn’t say that part out loud.

“Maybe you should talk to him,” she looked sad as she spoke, but her words were good advice. “I know he cares for you.”

“I know he does. But does he love me?” I shrugged, “We’ve been together a while now, and neither of us has said those three little words. Why do you think that is? It’s because we’re not it for each other. I want him to find his soulmate, and it’s not me.”

“Are you sure?” I could see the faintest glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Yes. He’s coming over tonight. I plan on telling him then.” I pulled her into a hug, “I want you to be happy too, Nat. Maybe you should consider dating.” When I pulled away, I saw her face had turned bright red. Instead of pointing it out, I pretended not to notice. 

She said, “I don’t know. My lifestyle isn’t conducive to relationships.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve happiness.” I reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, “And just in case you do find the guy you want to spend forever with, if you decide you want children with him I would be happy to be a surrogate for you.”

Her face shut down, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” I pulled back, “I sometimes forget that the things I know shouldn’t all be shared, even with the people that my knowledge is about.”

“How did you…”

“I know about the Red Room, Nat. Not everything, but I know how they sterilized you to make you a better assassin. I’m just offering to help you have kids if you should ever decide that you want them. That’s it.” I pulled her into a hug again, even though she held herself back from me, “You're my friend, Natasha. I just want your happiness, that’s it.”

“I’ll think about it.” She stood. Shaking her head, she seemed to clear her thoughts and gave me a soft smile, “Don’t be too harsh on Steve. I don’t know if he loves you or not, but I know that he cares. He might care more than you think he does.”

“I don’t want to hurt him, but staying with him would only end up hurting him more. It's not fair to either of us.”

After she left, I sat there on the couch, staring into space. My thoughts were all over the place, thinking about Steve, the future of this world, what would happen at the meeting I had called. Everything seemed to be on a path that would help us defeat Thanos, but I still felt unsure. Self-doubt can be crippling, even more so when you are extremely aware of your limitations compared to those around you.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I yelped, jumping off the couch. Heart racing, I looked at the offender and saw Steve standing there, looking at me bashfully, “Sorry, sweetheart. I thought you heard me come in.”

“I was just deep in thought.” Going around the couch, I pulled him down into a kiss. He lifted me, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. I felt him carry me to the bedroom, and even after what I had discussed with Natasha, I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

But once we were in the bedroom, he stopped kissing me and put me down. His hand came up, thumb wiping away tears that I hadn’t realized were falling down my face. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

I looked away, not wanting to see the distress in his eyes, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” When my gaze moved back to him, he grimaced, “I didn’t mean it like that. You look beautiful, like always. You just look so sad.”

I sat down on the bed and he joined me. Taking a deep breath, I said, “Steve, are you happy with me?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“An easy one.” I watched as I picked at my cuticles, “It should be an easy yes or no.”

“Brianna, sweetheart,” he sighed. “I am happy when I’m with you.”

“But…”

“I just worry about you a lot. When you try to play hero and run off to rescue people, I worry the entire time.” He grabbed my hand, holding it tightly, “The time we spend together, just us, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But when we’re not together…”

I turned to him, “That’s the thing, I need you to let me do those things.”

“I have.”

“But when I come back, you basically berated me in front of Tony.” My sorrow was getting replaced by anger, but I tried to contain it. I didn’t want to have this conversation with him and be angry. Taking a deep breath, I said, “You are my best friend, Steve. The sex is fantastic. But I wanted this relationship to be about more than that. And it’s not… not really, anyway.”

“I don’t have time to…”

“That’s not the problem.” I grabbed his hand with both of mine, pulling it onto my lap, “I care about you so much. But I don’t think that this relationship is what you need.”

“Are you breaking up with me?” his voice came out soft and low.

Sighing, I reached up and cupped his cheek, “I want you to be happy. I want you to have a girl that when she walks into a room, the first thing on your face is a smile. I don’t do that for you. If I did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” I released his hand, but he just grabbed my hand again, “You deserve to have the perfect girl for you, Steve. We’ve been together for almost two years now. And you know what, we still haven’t told each other that we love one another. Why do you think that is?”

“I…” he looked thoughtful. “I don’t know.”

“I do love you, Steve,” I said softly. “But I’m not in love with you. I honestly can’t believe I’m doing this because you are literally my dream guy. Before coming to your reality, if someone had told me I would be in a relationship with Captain America, I would have been overjoyed.” Tears welled in my eyes, “And I love being with you. But I need more too. I need someone who is as happy to see me as I am him. Honestly, I don’t think that is true for either of us.”

“You know, I love you too.” He reached up and laid his hand against my cheek briefly, “I guess I never said it because it never felt like that kind of love. I always expected to meet a girl and have it be magical. But I don’t want to lose you, or what we have.”

“Can I ask you something?” he nodded. I said, “Is it the sex you will miss, or being around me?”

“Honestly, the sex is great. I have never had this much or this good of sex in my entire life. Not that I had any before becoming,” he waved a hand at his chest. “But, I will miss you for more than sex. Holding you in my arms, just being around you. Those things are what I will miss.”

“I'll miss those things too,” I leaned against him, smiling as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “But we can stay friends, Steve. Just because we stop being in a relationship, doesn’t mean that we can’t do things.” When he chuckled, I clarified, “And by things, I don’t mean fuck like bunnies. I just mean that we can still hang out, do things that friends do.” My hand caressed his chest, “You know, you’re taking this extremely well. Much better than I thought you would.”

He pulled back, looking down at me, “Would you rather I was crying? Weeping on the floor?”

“No,” I gave him a look, not liking the sarcastic tone of his voice. “I don’t want that at all. I just want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you ever since ”

“I care about you, Brianna.” Steve sighed, “I don’t know what to say. Hell, I don’t know what you want me to say.” He stood and started pacing, “I’m trying not to be angry. You spring this on me with no warning. You say that you love me, just not like that. Jesus, Brianna.”

“Steve…”

“The worst part about this whole thing is that you’re right.”

“Wait, what?” I looked at him, incredulous.

He sat back down and fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, “When we first met, you told me you wanted this to be about more than sex. All I could think about was throwing you onto the bed and having my way with you. Every time I’m around you, that’s all I can think about.”

“Except when you’re mad at me.”

“First, I’m never mad at you.” He pulled me down and into his arms so my head was resting on his chest. As he rubbed my back he sighed, “Now I understand why Bucky was always getting on me for fighting. Back before they gave me the serum, I was tiny. My mother taught me to always get back up, never let them win, even if they were bigger and stronger than me. Even when I knew I was outmatched, I still stood my ground.”

I chuckled, “Yeah, ‘I can do this all day.’ You said it several times in the movies.”

“Bucky always seemed to come to my rescue. I guess, I just feel like I should be doing that for you. Taking care of you when you stood against people who were stronger than you.” His hand stroked my hair as I traced patterns on his chest with my fingers, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I get it, even if I don’t like it.” I hugged him close, listening to the steady beating of his heart, “But I’m not pre-serum you and you’re not Bucky. I don’t need you to take care of me. But you know what I do need, is for you to remain my friend. I’m scared, Steve. Terrified that I can’t change things, that what I’m trying to do will just make things worse. I know I can’t do this without you in my life.”

“Well, you’re not going to lose me, not really.” Placing a kiss onto the top of my head, he pulled us up until we were laying on the bed fully. He pulled me closer, “I’ll always be here for you, sweetheart.”

Yawning, I snuggled closer, “I want you to be happy, Steve. Promise me that you’ll try to find happiness.”

“I promise. Now go to sleep, sweetheart.”


	29. Chapter 29

2013 

The funny thing is, after our break up Steve and I actually became closer. I think that not having the pressure of being in a relationship had made him relax a little bit. The lingering glances between Natasha and him happened more often. So much so that Tony pulled me to the side and asked what was going on. I had to explain that we had ended things, but the fact that I didn’t cry made him realize that I wasn’t too upset.

Steve and Natasha didn’t start dating. I think that Steve was staying away from women trying to be respectful to me. Natasha, she probably had the same thought. Or maybe, she just thought that I wouldn’t be okay with her dating him. Either way, they looked at one another, but they stayed away from each other. Eventually, I would have to tell them that all I wanted was for them to be happy.

Unfortunately, I had to show Wanda everything. I really didn’t want to. No one should have to see those things. When I saw the things that happened to everyone, it was under the guise of entertainment. No of it was real. For her, it was real life. I showed her my world and time, how they were played by actors. And I showed her everything about Thanos and the aftermath of his arrival. After seeing everything, she had hidden away for a week, not speaking to anyone. Not even her brother.

When she came out of hiding, she had become more subdued than normal. She and Loki started hanging out, the only two people who knew about Thanos. No one liked them talking, but I managed to convince them that it wouldn’t hurt for them to be friends. They were both extremely powerful beings, who were both terrified of what the future held. They could understand one another.

The day of the meeting, I felt more nervous than I had about anything else. I tried to keep my outfit of the day professional, wearing a black dress and a pair of low heels. We had transformed the main floor from being a living area to having tables set up in a U shape. There was a spot at the top of the U where I planned on standing so I could see everyone easier. 

Tony and Steve were down in the lobby, greeting people as they arrived. Everyone else hung out in the kitchen area, waiting for it to start. I was pacing by the elevator, watching as the numbers increased indicating that someone was on their way up.

The doors dinged open and four people walked out. I took a step toward them, stopping at the older man first. I bowed slightly, “King T’Chaka, thank you very much for coming.”

He chuckled and held out his hand, shaking mine firmly, “Please, T’Chaka is fine. I was very intrigued by Mr. Stark’s invitation to come. He didn’t give me much to go on, but when he said to bring my daughter whom he’s never met nor heard of, I have to admit that I felt the need to come.”

“Don’t worry, sir, you won’t regret coming. This will affect the entire world. I know that Wakanda likes to stay out of things, but in this case, I think it will be beneficial for you to at least hear what I have to say.”

“And that’s why we are here.”

His son walked over, holding out his hand, “And I’m…”

“T’Challa, yes I know.” I gave him a smile as I shook his hand, “It’s very nice to meet you.” I turned to his sister, walking up to her, “I must admit, I’m most excited to meet you Shuri. Your work with technology is quite astonishing.”

“I, uh…” her face flushed. “Thank you?” She reached out and hugged me, whispering, “Please keep that quiet. My father doesn’t like me doing that stuff. Actually, he’s forbidden me from working on anything too serious. Says that it’s no place for a young girl.”

When I pulled back, I took a good look at her and realized how young she actually was. I guess in the movie I had thought she had been older. But having her before me now, I figured out how young she truly was and felt guilty for having her brought here.

“Well, fuck,” I said, unthinking.

She giggled, “My mother hates when I curse.”

A stern woman next to her frowned at me. I turned to her and nodded in her direction, “Okoye.”

Her eyes widened, “How did you…”

Instead of letting her finish the question, I turned back to T’Chaka and T’Challa, “If you guys want anything to drink, the kitchen is right over there.” I pointed toward the other Avengers, where they mingled, “Otherwise, you are free to go and find your seat. Each place is marked.”

As they left, the elevators opened again. I walked over and pulled the man into a big hug, “Wong, it’s so good to see you.”

“Little one,” he pulled back and frowned. “I wasn’t sure if I should come. Honestly, I wasn’t going to come. You said not to bring the Ancient One, but I’m not the right person for this. What exactly am I supposed to do?”

“Wong,” I sighed. “I don’t expect anything from you. You deserve to hear what’s coming, and I’m hoping that when I call on you to back up my story, that you will.”

“Does this have to do with the guy who sent you back in time?” he asked. As I nodded, he smiled, “Alright, then I’ll stay.” Before he walked away, he said, “Your chi has changed, little one.”

My jaw fell open in shock, “What do you mean?”

“The two others that were intertwined with you, one is slightly further away now. It’s still near yours, but it’s not as mingled anymore. However, the second one has become even closer.” He looked confused, “I don’t understand how things have changed so much.”

The elevator opened again, this time two people coming out. I looked at Wong, “Go ahead and find your seat, we can talk after.”

He gave me a quick hug, whispering in my ear, “It’s okay, little one. You deserve to be happy, just remember that.”

He left and I walked over. “Dr. Pym, Ms. van Dyne, it’s really good to see you. I’m glad that you could make it.”

“Your email talked about Pym particles, of course I was going to come. No one knows about those,” Dr. Pym spoke calmly. “I’m not sure how you do, but I’m here to answer any questions you may have.”

They left to go take a seat and the elevator opened one more time. This time, there were six people on it. Tony and Steve got off first, followed by the others. 

Steve stopped, putting his arm around me, “Hey, sweetheart.” I gave him a look and he chuckled, “We may only be friends, Brianna, but I’m still going to call you sweetheart. You will always mean a lot to me. Besides, we have a surprise for you.”

The last person walked off the elevator and I looked at him, shocked, “Agent Coulson, how are you…”

He walked over to me, grinning, “I’m surprised you didn’t know about this. You seem to know everything else.”

“Well,” my face flushed. “I don’t know absolutely everything. But it is really good to see you up and about.”

Fury walked over with a blonde woman, “Miss Mayfield, this is…”

“Carol Danvers,” I said, sticking my hand out to her. She shook it, completely unfazed. I smiled, “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Fury said it was a matter of some urgency,” she didn’t smile back.

I glared at him, “Urgent, not exactly. Important, yes. It concerns the fate of the entire galaxy.”

“Remember what I said, Miss Mayfield.” Fury glared right back, “Whatever you have to say, it better be good. I’m getting tired of you interfering in affairs that do not concern you.”

“You know what, I’m getting tired of you too Fury. Your chauvinistic attitude will be your undoing.” I turned back to Carol who was actually smiling, “Your seats have your name on them. We should probably get started.”

Once everyone was seated around the tables, including all the Avengers and varying guests, I went up to the front and stood there. Everyone stared at me, so I took a deep breath, “First, thanks to everyone for coming. I know that most of you are wondering why I called you all here today. Now, I know that you won’t believe me without proof. Unfortunately, the only proof I have is in here,” I tapped my head. 

I turned to one side of the U, “Now, if anyone wants me to skip them. All you have to do is say so when I get to you.” The first person was Carol, “Carol Danvers, you were an Air Force pilot working on a special program with Mar-Vell whom you found out was Kree. She was also whom you saw in the Supreme Intelligence.” Next came Fury, “I’ve already told you what I know, but I think everyone else deserves to as well. Should I tell them about Goose, Fury?”

He sighed, “Just skip me, Mayfield.”

“Well, I for one want to know,” Tony said, chuckling.

I skipped Hill and Coulson, not knowing that much about them. “Steve, when you were running in basic training, they said whoever could get the flag could ride back in the car. You were the only one to think of pulling the pin to bring down the entire pole.” I skipped Natasha and Tony, not knowing anything about them that wouldn’t be too invasive, “Clint, I know about Laura.” His eyes narrowed, “I’m not going to give away your secret. You have it hidden for a reason.”

I skipped over the rest of the Avengers and guests, stopping at Bruce, “Your secret is that you are always angry. And no, Steve didn’t tell me that you told him that during the battle of New York.” I finally got to our other guests, “Miss van Dyne, Hope, I will just say Wasp and you should know what I’m talking about. As for you Dr. Pym, you already know that I know about Pym particles which is why you are here. You are here to corroborate my knowledge of what they can do.”

Moving past Wong, I stopped at the last four people who had come, “King T’Chaka, you should have brought your brother and his son back into the fold. I know that what he did was considered treason, but in a few years, his son will come after your son. And he will win.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” T’Chaka said, crossing his arms over his chest. “My brother…”

“Was selling vibranium to people you didn’t approve of. He broke your laws and in return you…” I closed my eyes, “It doesn’t matter what you did.” I turned and looked at the people sitting down, “Now that you guys have heard that I know things I couldn’t possibly have found out, I should probably explain why I brought you here.”

“In 2018, there is going to be a battle. This battle will be lost by the people trying to protect Earth. Not because they don’t try, but simply because they are strong enough to beat him.”

“And who is this him exactly?” Fury asked, barely concealing his anger and disdain.

“Thanos.”

Loki stiffened in his seat, and I saw Wanda reach under the table and grab his hand. I smiled at Fury, “You don’t get to speak, Director Fury. You are here to listen only.” I turned back to the others, “As for how I know these things… You probably won’t believe me. I know I wouldn’t.” I took a deep breath, “I’m from the year 2019, and from an alternate reality. Where I’m from, you guys don’t exist, at least not outside of stories. Wanda has seen my memories, she can confirm what I am saying.”

Wanda spoke softly, “I can. She has memories of seeing us in movies, of us being played by actors.”

“And why exactly should we believe you?” T’Challa asked. But he didn’t sound upset or unbelieving. I think he just simply wanted more information.

“I’m here to stop Thanos. I was brought into your reality in the year 2030, before being sent back to 2010.” I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose, “When I showed up, Tony didn’t believe the things I was telling him. At least not until they happened. That’s why I told you all something about your past I shouldn’t know. For example, Fury, I know you guys are building three helicarriers with massive amounts of smart guns attached to them. Which is a bad idea, because HYDRA is inside SHIELD and is writing a program that will use those guns to wipe out anyone that stands against them.”

“SHIELD has not been infiltrated by HYDRA,” he said.

“Did I say you could talk?” I glared at him. “You don’t have to believe me for it to be true.” I waved a hand, encompassing everyone sitting at the table, “You guys are all basically walking science fiction. The force field around Wakanda, that tech doesn't exist where I'm from. The idea of some being genetically enhanced is only talked about in stories. So the fact that I come from an alternate reality shouldn't be too hard to grasp."

"Why don't you tell us what is coming?" Steve said. "I believe you. And speaking for the rest of the Avengers, we all believe you. But we believed you before today."

I gave him a grateful smile, "Thanos believes that natural resources are being wasted, and the only way to stop it is to get rid of half of all life in the universe."

"Why?" Carol asked. "Why does he care what happens here? Or anywhere else for that matter?"

"I don't know." I started pacing back and forth in front of them, "His world was destroyed by overpopulation. I think that is what drives him. He's been searching for the infinity stones." I looked at Fury, amusement glinting in my eyes, “The Tesseract is one, the scepter had another. There are six in total, and if they are used together, it gives the person wielding them immeasurable power.”

“Why are you telling us this?”

“I’ve managed to procure three of the stones.” The others started murmuring to one another, “They are in a secure location that only I have access to.”

“Which three?” Fury asked.

I didn’t bother yelling at him again, knowing it would only fuel his hatred of me, “That doesn’t matter. But you can’t put that knowledge into SHIELD's database. You may not believe me that HYDRA has infiltrated your organization, but they have. And it goes higher up than you would believe.”

“I still don’t believe you about that.”

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to him, placed both hands on the table and stared into his eyes, “Why can’t you believe me? I know how you lost the use of your eye. Carol is the only other person who knows the story. I would also be willing to bet that no one, other than Carol, knows that a Flerken swallowed the Tesseract in order to keep it away from the Kree. Did Coulson even know that?”

“No, I didn’t,” Coulson turned to look Fury.

“How do we even know this Thanos is real?” Fury asked.

I pulled back, moving toward the front of the room again. Loki cleared his throat, “I met him.” All eyes turned to him and he got uncomfortable, “He is the one who gave me the scepter, using it against me so I would…”

“It’s okay, Loki,” Wanda said softly. “We’ve all done things that we regret.” She turned to look at Fury, “I’ve seen inside of Brianna’s memories. And before you ask, I can tell the difference between a manufactured thought and a memory. What she showed me, it was real. I can’t say for certain that what she saw in the movies will come to pass here, but it happened. If Loki says that Thanos is real, then I am standing with her.”

“And who the fuck are you, little girl?” Fury said, his voice deep and angry.

Pietro raced over, surprising everyone but the Avengers with his ability. He pulled Fury out of the chair, grabbing him by the neck, “You do not speak to my sister that way.”

“I agree with the angry white man,” Shuri said. Her father turned and looked like he would say something, but T’Challa stopped him. Shuri stood and walked over to Pietro, placing a hand on his back, “It is okay. This man does not speak for all of us.”

Slowly, Pietro lowered Fury to the floor and turned to Shuri, nodding at her. When everyone sat down again, I sighed, “You aren’t listening to me, Fury. Do you know what happened when Thanos wiped out half the population in the universe? Billions disappear on Earth. People that you know and love. You, T’Challa, Bucky… Billions of people Fury. But it isn’t just those who get snapped away that suffer. When the pilot of a plane disappears, what happens to those on board? What about cars? When a driver disappears a car doesn’t automatically stop moving.”

“You still haven’t given me a reason to believe you.”

“I believe her,” T’Chaka said. I looked over at him, shocked. He shrugged, “She knows things she shouldn’t. Mr. Loki claims to know this Thanos, and if what she says is true, the fate of our world is at stake. Mr. Fury, you would think that would be of some importance to listen to what she has to say. If for no other reason than the possibility that she is correct.”

“That is the problem,” Fury said, speaking respectfully. “There is no proof that she is correct. There is no proof that this Thanos is real. Why should I believe a girl who says she can read memories? Why should I believe a man who is the reason we had to rebuild huge chunks of New York?”

“Loki was mind-controlled,” anger laced my words. “And before you say there is no proof, just let me say this. Fuck you.”

“I believe her,” Carol said softly. Fury turned to her, a confused look on his face. She laughed lightly, “I have heard tales of a madman roaming the planets, doing unspeakable things. They speak of his name in soft whispers, trying not to anger him again in case he decides to revisit their planet. The name I’ve heard them whisper is Thanos. If only half of what she says is true, then when need to do something.” She looked at me, “What happens in these movies?”

“After Thanos kills half the universe, Earth goes a little mad. The people who are left behind, they suffer. Five years have passed, and something happens. Before the snap, someone was in the quantum realm. And no, I’m not going to tell you whom because that could change other parts of the future. But this is why I brought Dr. Pym.”

“I don’t understand,” Dr. Pym said.

“Your Pym particles power suits which can shrink and grow a person in size, correct?” His eyes widened and I continued, “Hypothetically, could someone shrink enough to enter a quantum realm?”

“Yes, but it’s not safe. My wife... we lost her in the quantum realm years ago.”

My eyes shut and I cursed myself internally. _Ant-Man_ had never been one of my favorite movies, so I only saw it one time. I had forgotten that Dr. Pym’s wife had been stuck there, “I’m sorry, I forgot. But the fact that someone can enter the quantum realm and get left there, that is what I need everyone to understand.”

“Yes, that is possible.”

“Basically, this person is in the quantum realm for a five year period. He gets out by pure chance. He had an idea, to build a time machine and go back to fix things.”

“Time travel is not possible,” Tony said. “Sorry, kiddo. I know that you were brought back in time by someone, but what you’re talking about is something else entirely.”

“This idea uses the quantum realm to navigate time,” I said. “When he comes to the Avengers, who are all split up and dealing with the loss in their own ways, you guys try to make it work. But it’s Tony who figures out how to accomplish it. The split up to different times, getting the stones before Thanos did. They come back with the stones, back to the year 2023. The snap is reversed, bringing back everyone who was taken five years prior. The ones they couldn't bring back were those who died because others were lost. But in the process of getting the stones and bringing the people back, lives are lost.”

Tony gave me an appraising look, “If we brought everyone back, why are you here? Why would you want to change the future?”

“Just because you brought the people back that Thanos killed, doesn’t mean you brought everyone back.” I looked at Natasha, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me, “The people who died because others were lost, they don’t come back. Pain, suffering, loss, agony… if those things don’t have to happen, then why should they?”

“I agree with you, kiddo. I think the others needed to hear it.”

“These lives that are supposedly lost, why do they mean so much to you?” Fury asked. “If they are just characters to you, why would you come here to save them?”

“Have you ever had a favorite story? Felt something for a character who was not real?” I asked him. Fury shook his head, “Of course you haven’t. I followed the stories of the Avengers for ten years. Saw them grow and develop over a decade of stories. Two of them died, needlessly. Another did something so stupid it angered me, making me wish I could change it.” I walked over and smiled down at him, “Even your character wasn’t as bad as the real you, Fury. He at least had a conscience and a moral compass. You simply use people to your own advantage, without a care for the consequences.”

T’Chaka stood and came over to me. Grabbing my hand in his, he smiled, “Wakanda will stand behind you in any fight that happens. Just call on us, and we will be there.” He looked at his companions, “Come, we must be heading back.”

T’Challa followed his father to the elevator with Okoye, but Shuri stopped and gave me a hug, “I hope to see you again. You are pretty cool for a colonizer.”

After they left, Dr. Pym and Hope stood, “We should probably be going too. I’m sorry we couldn’t be more help.”

“No, you guys gave me exactly what I asked for.”

“If you need help, we will be there,” Hope told me. “I’m sure you could use all the help you can get.”

“Thanks.”

Once they were gone, I turned back to everyone else. “Does anyone else want to leave?” 

Wong nodded, “I’m sorry, little one. I wanted to talk with you, but I must be getting back to the sanctum.” He gave me a hug, whispering, “I see why the one chi has separated from yours. He will be happy with her, you know. Their chis are entangled, much more than yours and his ever were. But don’t worry, I can sense that you will be united with the other soon.” He pulled back and looked at Fury, “We also stand with Brianna. And you do not want to cross us, Director Fury. We are more powerful than even you can imagine.”

Once Wong left, Fury stood, “I’m sorry, Miss Mayfield, but you still have not convinced me. I’m afraid you will have to come with me.”

“Fury,” Carol sounded furious with him. “You will not be taking Brianna anywhere.” She stood up and walked so she stood next to me, “I would be willing to bet that everyone else in the room also stands with Brianna. Just because you choose to be ignorant of things to come, doesn’t give you the right to…”

I placed a hand on her back, “It’s okay, Carol. I told him I would go willingly if I couldn’t convince him.” I glared at him, “But I think that he was convinced. He just doesn’t want anything to do with me. Isn’t that right?”

Fury grimaced, “No, it isn’t. You haven’t given me any reason to believe what you say.”

“Fine, I know this will make Tony happy.” I sighed, “Goose was a cat. But not any cat, he was actually a Flerken. The Skrull are deathly afraid of them, you and Carol used him against them before you realized that they were the good guys. On the ride back to Earth, Goose scratched your eye. That’s why you tell people that the last person you trusted took your eye. You eye injury is because of a cat.”

“Seriously,” Tony laughed. “You got a cat scratch?”

“Miss Mayfield, whether you told that story to embarrass me or not, it doesn’t matter. This still doesn’t prove that your story is true.” He held his hands behind his back, “I’m sorry, but you are still going to have to come with me.”

This time, the other stood and walked over to me. Steve stood right next to me, “You are not taking Brianna, Fury. We are all with her, and we will stop Thanos with or without your help. But you do not get to run roughshod over her simply because you want to.”

“She threatened the life of an officer of SHIELD.”

“And that’s tough shit,” Tony said. “I’ve threatened you plenty of times, you’ve never said you would lock me up for it.”

“We’re not taking her, Nicholas,” Coulson said softly. “Even I believe her. I’ve seen some pretty strange things in my life, having someone come from another reality is not that strange.”

“Guys,” I stepped away. “I made a promise.”

Natasha walked in front of me, “Too damn bad. If we are going to defeat Thanos, it’s together.”

“Fine,” I knew when I was outnumbered.

“Do you really expect me to…” Fury started to say.

But Natasha turned around and glared at him, “Fury, you guys need to leave. Try to remember who I am. If one of the others doesn’t come for you, I will. And I never miss.”

After Fury, Hill, and Coulson left, I turned to those who remained. “Do you guys really believe me?” They all said yes and I smiled, “We have a few years to figure out a plan. I’m just glad that you guys know now. Keeping this all to myself was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Steve pulled me against him, “Sweetheart, we will always stand with you. No matter what. That’s what family does.”

“Exactly what Capsicle said.” Tony came over and hugged me, “You’re family, kiddo. We won’t let anything happen to you, not on our watch.”


	30. Chapter 30

2014

February in New York chilled my bones. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I stood on the balcony at the tower. Being this high up when it was below freezing outside, not one of my brightest ideas. But ever since the meeting, no one would leave me alone for very long. At all times, someone was with me, even at night. I’m not sure what they thought would happen if I were left alone, but it had driven me to my breaking point. Being out here seemed to be the only way I could escape the constant supervision.

“There you are,” Tony said, coming up beside me.

I sighed, resting my head on the edge of the railing, “Go away.”

“Kiddo,” he placed a hand on my back. “What’s going on?”

Pulling away, I looked at him, honestly surprised, “Are you kidding me right now? You guys haven’t left me alone in over four months. I just want some space. You all are smothering me.”

“Is that what we’re doing?” he raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been stressed out since Fury threatened to take you and lock you up. We’re just trying to…”

“Fuck, you guys are just making it worse.” I moved back to the railing, looking down at the city below, “Do you see this, Tony? The hustle and bustle of people as they run about their business. Everyone is always rushing, going from home to work and back home again. There is no happiness, no stopping to notice the good things going on, just rushing from one point to another. That’s not what I’m doing, even if it seems like it.” I looked at him, “I know that you guys think I’m going to snap from the pressure and stress, but you can’t keep treating me like a child. I’m twenty-eight years old, I’m a fucking adult.”

“Kiddo,” he tried again.

“No, just… go.”

His footsteps echoed on the balcony as he walked away. Tears fell down my cheeks as I continued to stare down at the throngs of people as they moved throughout the city. This was the loneliest I had been coming to their reality, even being followed by them and surrounded by people who care about me. I was lonely. And there was nothing I could do about it.

Twenty minutes passed. Twenty minutes of solitude before someone else's footsteps approached. From the sound, I could tell who it was, “Steve, what are you doing out here? I thought I told Tony I wanted to be left alone.”

“Sweetheart,” he said softly. I turned to glare at him. When he saw the tear stains on my cheeks, he sighed and reached up, rubbing away the marks, “I’m sorry.”

“For…”

“We weren’t staying with you because we thought you would break.” He took a step back, putting his hands into his pockets, “We were worried that Fury would try to capture you, or that you would go to him.”

My eyes narrowed, “Really? Somehow, I don’t believe that. The Tower is a safe place, Tony made it that way. There is more security here than at Area 51. There is no way that Fury would be able to steal me out of here.”

“Can you honestly say you wouldn’t go to him?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” I turned away, not wanting to see his disbelief, “I told him I would go if he didn’t believe me because it was the only way I could get him to bring Carol. And I would have gone with him.” I started walking back inside, “But once you guys stood with me, I wouldn’t go against that. I don’t even think you realize how much that meant to me, to have everyone back me up like that.”

He grabbed my arm, stopping me from going any further, “Sweetheart… Brianna, we’re just worried about you, that’s all.”

“That’s why you won’t let me sleep alone at night? You’re worried?”

He pulled me into his arms, holding me there until I quit struggling. Eventually, I gave up, wrapping my arms around his waist, “I’ve missed this, Steve. We’re friends, but since I told everyone the truth, it hasn’t felt like that. You’ve been treating me the same as the others, like a captive. Like a child who's disobeyed their parents.”

Steve rubbed my back, “I’m sorry, Brianna. I’ll tell the others to back off. I didn’t realize that what we were doing was hurting you.” He pulled back, “Tony sent me out here for a reason, not to check up on you.”

“Oh really?”

“The President has sent you an invitation to the White House. He wants to see you. After you helped rescue him, he wanted to give you a commendation medal, but you were unconscious. He still wants to meet the woman who helped save his life.”

“Fuck,” I rubbed a hand down my face. “When?”

“The invitation is for next week.”

I sighed, “Fine, tell Tony to accept it. I’ll go.” My gaze softened when I looked at his face, “You promised me you would try to be happy, Steve. Why haven’t you talked to her?”

“Her?”

My gaze narrowed and I chuckled, “You know who I’m talking about. I’ve seen the looks. You know, she likes you too.”

He shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I gave him another quick hug, “Yeah you do, but it’s okay. Just talk to her, spend time with her. Be happy. I'm giving you permission to live your life. You don't need to keep from dating because you think I'm fragile. I want you to be happy, that's why I ended things. I'm not going to break down crying if my two best friends end up together.”

"I don't..."

"Yeah, you do." I pulled back and headed inside, "But it's okay. You both deserve happiness."

 

A week later, Steve and I were in Washington DC, to meet the President. Tony couldn’t come because of his work, but I still had a bodyguard with me. Not that they framed it that way when they told me he would come with. Steve told me he was coming with me as a friend, and he did. But I knew that there were other reasons. One of them was to keep me safe, the other was the upcoming mission that he hadn't told me about. Probably so I wouldn't worry.

The President took me into the Oval Office, gave me a tour around the White House, and gave me the medal. He carved out half of his day to spend with me. After all, he had waited over a year to see me again.

We stayed in the same room at the hotel, with two beds. The next morning, Steve woke me up bumbling around the room. I rolled over, groaning when my eyes opened as saw the light, “What are you doing up so early?”

“I’m going for a run,” he tightened his shoelaces.

Sitting up, I climbed out of bed to grab some clothes, “Give me five minutes, I’ll join you.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t run.”

“Maybe I want to start,” I hadn’t told anyone about my plan to rescue Bucky. And I was fairly certain that today was when he met Sam Wilson.

He gave me a look, but sat down on the bed, nodding, “Alright, get dressed. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”

I got dressed quickly and we left. We started slowly, probably because he knew I didn’t run. To be honest, I didn’t. I still kept up my training with Natasha and Clint, occasionally Steve, but running long distances wasn’t my thing.

Out of breath, I tried to keep up a steady pace, “Go ahead, Steve. I know you usually run faster than this.”

“You sure?” he looked over at me, looking every inch the male model. Not a drop of sweat on his face or body.

“I’m positive.”

He took off and I sighed, thankful that I could stop running. I stood to the side until I saw someone came running toward me. I started jogging again, speeding up with the guy until we ran side by side, with me on the right. He looked over at me and smiled, “Mornin’.”

“Morning,” I nodded at him. “Mind some company?”

“Sure thing.”

We ran in silence for several minutes until the pounding of footsteps neared us. A deep voice said, “On your left.” We kept running, then the voice said again, “On your left.”

I had to work to keep from laughing. Sam said, “Yeah, on your left, got it.” The footsteps neared us again, Sam said, “Don’t say it. Don’t you say it.”

“On your left.”

“Come on,” Sam started running faster and I had to sprint to keep up. He was a few inches taller than me, so he had longer legs. He slowed after a short distance, resting his hands on his legs.

I stopped, “Come on, let’s go sit under the tree.”

He leaned against it, breathing heavily, “Fuck, he’s fast.”

“Yeah, well, that’s Captain America for you.”

“Figured that out the second time he passed me,” Sam held his hand to his stomach.

I sat down next to him, cross-legged. Holding out my hand, I waited for him to shake it, “Brianna Mayfield.”

“Sam Wilson, nice to meet you.”

A deep voice said, “Need a medic?”

“I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes.”

“Guess I got a late start,” Steve said.

I snorted out a laugh. Both boys looked at me, “What?”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest, “Brianna, what are you doing?”

“You know him?” Sam asked.

“Um, maybe,” I shrugged. “Just pretend I’m not here.”

Steve glared at me, but turned to look at Sam, “What unit you with?”

“58th pararescue, but now I’m working down at the VA.” Sam held out his hand, “Sam Wilson.”

Steve grabbed it pulling him up, “Steve Rogers.” Then he reached down and helped me up.

“Yeah, I kinda put that together. Plus, your girlfriend here gave you up.”

“Not his girlfriend,” I said petulantly. “Just a friend. Besides, you figured it out all on your own.”

Sam looked between me and Steve, “Yeah, sure, not together. Whatever you say.”

“Before you guys start your bromance, Sam here is going to tell you to listen to the Marvin Gaye Troubleman soundtrack, so go ahead and write that down in your book.” Steve eyeballed me but did as I asked. Sam’s eyes widened and I chuckled, “Don’t worry about it, you'll get used to me.”

Steve gave me a look that said to not let random people in on my secret. Sam just laughed, saying to Steve, “Anytime you want to stop by the VA and make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Steve said. “Brianna, I’ve got…”

“A mission, I know.”

An expensive car pulled up beside us, the window rolling down to reveal Natasha sitting behind the wheel, “Hey fellas. Either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a fossil.”

“Hold on, Tash,” Steve said. He looked at me, “You want a ride back to the hotel?”

“Nah, I’m good.” I gave him a quick hug, “Be safe, Steve. And don’t get mad at Nat, she’s just doing her job.”

“What…?”

“You’ll figure it out.”

Steve turned to walk to the car, “That’s hilarious, Tash. Real funny.”

Sam bent over so he could look in the car and said to Natasha, “How you doin'?”

“Hey,” she said back.

“Can’t run everywhere,” Steve gave us both a cheeky grin.

“No, you can’t.”

They took off and Sam stood back up, walking over to me. “So, how did you…”

“Know what you were going to say, it’s a long story.” I looked around, “Take me for a coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.”

We sat in the coffee shop and Sam had this dumbfounded look on his face. I couldn't blame him. I hadn't even told anyone else everything until they had known me for several months. But I knew I didn't have that kind of time with Sam, and I needed him to be on my side. He looked at me, slack-jawed, “Seriously, you expect me to believe all that?”

I sighed, “No, I don’t. But soon, Nat and Steve are going to come to your house asking for help. How about this… I will tell you one thing that no one should know, because of how classified it is. If I’m wrong, I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”

He narrowed his eyes, but nodded, “Deal.”

“When you told Steve you did pararescue, it wasn’t helicopters. You…” I looked around the coffee shop, realizing that being someplace so public wasn’t probably good to talk about classified information. I leaned forward, speaking softer so only he could hear, “I don’t remember the name of the program, but you used mechanical wings so you could fly like a bird. If I remember correctly, the wings were called EXO-7 Falcon.”

“You shouldn’t know about that.”

“I know. Do you believe me now?”

He leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I’m not sure. You really shouldn’t know about that. That program is classified well past the Top Secret level. But yet you do, somehow.”

“I told you…”

“Movies, alternate reality… yeah, you said.” Sam lowered his hand and gave me a look, “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“Because you are a hero, Sam. Not just in the future, but right now.” I reached over to him, grabbing his hand, “You served our country with distinction, Sam Wilson. You are going to help Steve and Nat because that’s what you do. And you’re not going to do it because I’m telling you to, you will do it because that is the type of person you are.” I went up to the counter to borrow a pen, writing my number down on a piece of paper, “Text me your info. I don’t know exactly when it will happen, but it’s going to be soon.”

“I don’t know.”

Sitting back down, I took a sip of my coffee, “Do you miss combat?”

“I think all soldiers miss combat in one way or another.”

“It’s up to you, but you will become an integral part of the team. You are pretty badass you know. Plus, flying, that’s not something any of the rest of the Avengers can do.”

“Alright, fine,” he chuckled. “You need a ride back to your hotel?”

“Nah, it’s only a few miles away. I could use the walk.” I stood and held out my hand, which he shook, “It’s been a pleasure, Sam Wilson.”

“Same, Brianna Mayfield. You tell your boyfriend…”

“Not my boyfriend.” When he raised his eyebrows, I sighed, “We were together, but we’re not now.”

“Just tell him to call on me whenever. I wouldn’t mind a little adventure.”


	31. Chapter 31

2014

When Steve came back to the hotel to get me after the mission, I punched him the arm as hard as I could, only succeeding in hurting myself, “Don’t you ever jump out of a plane without a parachute again.”

“How did…” he looked at me, recognition dawning on his face. “You knew about the mission? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I haven’t told you guys everything,” I sat down on the bed. “And I won’t, because even if I know what’s coming, it’s still your lives. Do you really want to know every detail of your life that I know?”

“You’re right, I don't want to know everything. It would change how I react to things,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me off the bed. “I know we were planning on going home today, but how would you like to meet Peggy?”

“Peggy?”

“Yeah, Tasha found out that she’s still alive. Sent me her information,” he looked down at the ground, twisting his hands together, “She’s sick, Brianna. I’ve already contacted her family and they said we could come over this afternoon.”

“You sure you don’t want to go alone?” I didn’t think it was my place to intrude on such a personal thing.

“It would be nice if you were there. Seeing her like this, it’s going to be hard.” He looked up at me, “I would really like it if my best friend were by my side for this.”

“Alright, I’ll come.” I grabbed my purse and jacket, “But I think we should stop by the Smithsonian first. I hear there’s a pretty interesting exhibit that you might enjoy.”

When we arrived and Steve saw the Captain America poster, he glared at me, “Really?”

I just grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. As we walked in, a voice said, “A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice.” We stopped in front of the exhibit with his original and new height and weight stats, “Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American Warfare. One that would transform him into the world’s first super-soldier.”

A little kid stared at us as we walked through. Steve just put a finger to his lips and gave the kid a soft smile. We kept walking through the exhibit, stopping near his original motorcycle. The voice continued, “Battle-tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division.”

The items they had worn were all on display, including his original Captain America uniform. I slipped my hand through his, “You doing okay?”

He squeezed my hand, “Yeah. This is all…” He paused, then looked down at me, “It’s been so many years. I didn’t think anyone would care about this anymore.”

I let go of his hand so I could wrap my arms around his waist, “It’s because of you, Steve. You’re a hero.”

“I’m just a soldier.”

Pulling back, I frowned, “You are more than that.” I knew it would take more time than we had to get through to him, so I grabbed his hand again, “Come on, let’s finish the exhibit.”

We neared the Bucky Barnes display and the voice said, “Best friends since childhood. Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in the service of his country.”

Steve stared at Bucky’s picture, sadness plain on his face, “Are you sure he’s alive, Brianna?”

I reached up, wiping away the single tear that rolled down his cheek, “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life. I promised you we would get him back, and we will.”

Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Losing Bucky on that train was the worst thing that ever happened to me. The desolation I felt when he fell, it ripped my soul in two. Bucky was my best friend, the brother I never had.”

“I know, Steve,” I gave him another hug. “I know.”

He pulled me away from the Bucky display, not wanting to see his friends face anymore. When he saw a room that said it had a Peggy movie, he pulled me inside. She was on the screen, talking, “That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve...Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life.”

Steve stood, pulling me out with him. He didn’t stop until we were outside of the museum, breathing fresh air. He sat down on the steps, head in his hands, “I can’t believe they put all this together. And that interview with Peggy… god, it brought everything back.”

I joined him on the step, gently rubbing his back, “Are you going to be okay to go see her? I know how much you cared for her.”

“Yeah, I did,” he turned to look at me. “But we already had this discussion, Brianna. Peggy and I, we weren’t meant to be. It just hurts to see all that. To see them say I took down HYDRA when you tell me they are still out there.”

Sighing, I looked anywhere but at him, “In my reality, HYDRA doesn’t exist, but Adolf Hitler did. He killed millions of people who did not conform to what he thought was the perfect race. We won that war, but still, so many people died.” He took my hand and I let him, “But in my reality, Nazi’s still exist. Not as organized as they were back in the 1940s, but they are still out there. There are still people who believe that anything that isn’t white is wrong and doesn’t deserve to live.” Looking back at him, I said, “You guys beat HYDRA. Just because they managed to make a resurgence doesn’t diminish what you did.”

Looking at his watch, Steve stood, “Well, we can’t change the past, only the future. And I know that you’ll tell me the important things.”

I flushed, knowing that there were things I kept from him that he deserved to know, “Yeah, I will.” I had already told him about HYDRA, just not about Rumlow or Pierce. Nor had I told him that Bucky was the Winter Soldier, “Let’s go see Peggy.”

He knocked on the front door and a young woman answered, “Yes?”

“Hi, I’m Steve Rogers. I’m here to see…”

“My grandmother, yes,” she moved to the side. “Come on in.” Once we were inside, she started walking upstairs, “My name’s Juliet. My grandmother hasn’t been doing so well, she has dementia. She talks about you quite often, Captain Rogers.” She stopped outside the bedroom door, “Thank you for coming. This means a great deal to all of us.”

“How bad is it?”

“She has her good moments.” Juliet looked at each of us in turn, “The doctors say she might not make it past the end of the year. But she’s strong. I just wish that she wasn’t suffering so much.”

I laid my hand on her arm, “We won’t stay too long.”

She gave me a grateful smile, “Go on in. She’s pretty clear-headed right now.”

Steve walked in first, taking a seat at a chair near her bedside. I stood by the door, not wanting to interrupt. He looked at the pictures on her nightstand, “You should be proud of yourself, Peggy.”

“Mm, I have lived a life.” She looked at Steve, “My only regret is that you didn’t get to live yours.” Steve lowered his head, frowning. She asked, “What is it?”

“For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I’m not quite sure what that is anymore.” He paused, looking up at Peggy, And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same.”

Peggy chuckled, “You're always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather...mucked it up.”

“You didn’t. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason I stay.”

Peggy took his hand in hers, “Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.”

She started to cough so Steve grabbed her water. As he handed it to her, she looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time, “Steve?”

“Yeah.”

“You're alive! You...you came, you came back.”

“Yeah, Peggy,” he said smiling at her.

She started to cry, “It’s been so long. So long.”

“Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance.”

We stayed for a little longer, while Peggy faded out of consciousness. Once she was asleep, Steve stood and walked past me to the door, leaving without saying anything. I followed, shutting the door behind me.

He stood there, shoulders tense, head bowed. I placed a hand on his back, “Steve?” I heard a soft sound and moved in front of him to see him crying. I wrapped my arms around him, bringing his head down to my shoulder, “God, Steve, I’m sorry.”

He held me tightly, crying quietly into my shoulder. We stood like that for several minutes until Juliet came back. She stood off to the side, not wanting to interrupt. I rubbed his back, trying to calm him. Finally, he pulled back and wiped at his face. When he saw Juliet, he straightened, “Please, if she needs anything…” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a card, “Give me a call. Night or day.”

Juliet nodded, “Of course.”

We left the house, walking down the street, not saying anything. My phone dinged and I took it out of my purse. It was a text message from a number I didn’t recognize.

**_???: Bring Steve to his old apartment, in two days at 8 PM._ **

**ME: Who is this?**

**_???: It’s important, Mayfield. Just do it._ **

I turned to Steve, “We need to get back to New York.”

“Why?”

“I think Fury is in trouble.” I showed him the texts, “Look, I’ll head back to the tower. You go to the VA meeting you were planning on attending to see Sam again. I already know you’re going to go alone to the apartment, so please, just be careful.” I hugged him, “I love you, Steve. I don’t like seeing you hurt. Please don’t do anything stupid just because you are upset about Peggy.”

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

For a second I was offended until I realized it was what he and Bucky would say to one another. I just hugged him again, “Be safe.”

 

Two days later, there was a knock on my apartment door. I opened it and saw Steve standing there. He gave me a wry grin, “You told me to stop babying you. So here I am. Wanna come meet Fury with me?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, just bring your weapons, just in case.” He grinned, “Never know with Fury.”

We headed out to his old apartment, as we walked upstairs I asked, “So, I thought you had fully moved into the Tower?”

“Yeah, I did. But sometimes, I like a little peace and quiet. Someplace I can just be myself instead of Captain America.” He held the door to the floor open for me, “That’s all.”

We neared a blonde woman talking on the phone. They didn’t have the same conversation as in the movie, because Steve knew what was waiting for him. He just nodded at her.

Sharon frowned, then quickly smiled, “I think you left your stereo on.”

“Oh, thanks. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

She went downstairs and we neared the door. Steve pressed his ear against it, “All I hear is music. I don’t think we’re going to be ambushed.”

“It’s just Fury,” I said softly.

Steve put his key in the door and pushed it open. We both went inside, Steve stopping to pick up a shield he must have left there in case of emergencies. I took out my gun, just in case. 

We neared the living room and Steve stopped, leaning against the wall, “I don’t remember giving you a key.”

“You really think I’d need one.” Fury groaned as he sat up, “My wife kicked me out.”

“Didn’t know you were married.”

“A lot of things you don’t know about me.”

I walked out and Fury glared at me. I kept silent though, knowing what Fury was going to say next. Steve walked into the living room, turning on the light, “I know, Nick. That’s the problem.”

When the lights came on, we could both see Fury’s injuries for the first time. I had to put my hand over my mouth to stop from gasping. They were so much worse than the movie. 

Fury put a finger to his lips and shut off the light. He started typing on his phone,  _ ears everywhere _ . “I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash,” he typed on his phone again.  _ SHIELD compromised _ .

I smiled to myself, happy that he was finally starting to believe what I said. Fury glared at me, typing on his phone again,  _ should have told me more _ .

“You know you’re always welcome to stay with us,” I said. I just went with pretending Steve and I were still in a relationship, it was easier than not saying anything since I knew I couldn't keep quiet, “We have a guest bedroom that's yours for as long as you need it.”

Steve asked, “Who else knows about your wife?”

Fury typed,  _ the three of us _ . “Just… my friends.”

“Is that what we are?”

“That’s up to you.” 

Three shots rang out and Steve jumped on me, covering me with his body and shield. When the shots stopped, he got up and saw Fury slumped over. He whispered to me, “Go to the other room, I’ll grab him.”

I went into the other room, sighing in relief when Steve dragged a barely conscious Fury in. Fury handed him something, “Don’t… trust anyone.”

He passed out and the front door crashed open. Steve shoved the flash drive into his pocket as Sharon walked in holding a gun in front of her, “Captain Rogers? I’m Agent 13 of SHIELD Special Service.”

“Kate?” he looked confused.

“I’m assigned to protect you.”

“On whose orders?”

Sharon noticed Fury lying on the ground, “His.” She crouches down by him, contacting someone on the radio, “Foxtrot is down. He’s unresponsive. I need EMTs.” 

A voice said over the radio, “You have a twenty on the shooter?”

Steve looked out the window, “Tell him I’m in pursuit.” Steve dove out the window, chasing after the assassin.

Sharon looked at me, “I don’t know you.”

“Brianna Mayfield.” I didn’t offer my hand, “Sharon, we need to get him to a hospital.”

 

We stood outside the operating room, watching as the doctors inside tried to save Fury’s life. Natasha said, “Is he going to make it?”

“I don’t know,” Steve said softly.

“Tell me about the shooter.”

“He’s fast and strong. Had a metal arm.”

Agent Hill approached us. Natasha turned to her, “Ballistics?”

“Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable.”

“Soviet-made,” Natasha looked angry.

“Yeah.”

The doctors started responding to his heart rate dropping, calling out for a defibrillator. They tried to revive him, but they couldn’t. They called his time of death as Natasha stood at the window, hand pressed against it.

Shortly after, they led us to a room that held Fury’s body. Natasha stood by his body, so I went over to Steve. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

“No, it’s not.” He looked down at the flash drive, before sticking it back into his pocket, “Fury is dead and I don’t know who the assassin was or why he went after him.” He turned to me, “What do you know?”

“I…”

Hill walked over to us, “I need to take him.”

Steve walked over to her. He said softly, “Tasha.” She didn’t respond, just touched Fury’s head and left the room. Steve followed her out, with me close behind, “Natasha!”

“Why was Fury in your old apartment?” she didn’t even acknowledge that I was there.

“I don’t know,” Steve lied, poorly.

Natasha looked at me, and I knew she was going to give me hell later. But before she could say anything else, a voice came from behind us that I recognized, “Cap, they want you back at SHIELD.”

I turned around and saw Rumlow standing there. Never in my life had I wanted to shoot anyone as badly as I did him. My fingers inched toward my gun, but Natasha must have noticed because she grabbed my wrist, shaking her head at me.

“Yeah, give me a second,” Steve said, turning back to us.

“They want you now.”

“Okay.” When Rumlow left, he turned back to us.

Natasha smiled, “You’re a terrible liar.” She turned and walked away.

I looked at him, “Be careful, Steve. HY…” I stopped before saying it all, “Rumlow isn’t who he claims to be.”

“Seriously, Brianna, you tell me this now.” Steve ran a hand through his hair, “Go after, Tasha, make sure she’s okay. I'll be fine.”

I nodded and turned to run after her. I caught up with her as she neared her car, “Nat, wait.” She glared at me and got in, but didn’t leave until I was in the passenger seat, “Fury is going to be okay.”

“He’s dead, Bri. You don’t come back from that,” she glared at me as we drove. “Look, I’ll take you back to the tower. I don’t know why Steve is lying to me, but…”

“Fury told him not to trust anybody. That’s all.” I sighed, “Look, we don’t have time for this. Steve is going to be ambushed at SHIELD headquarters by HYDRA agents. Fury gave him a flash drive that he left at the hospital in the vending machine.”

“Of all the stupid…”

“Yeah, I know. Not the most secure of locations.” We both chuckled, “Pierce is going to make him a fugitive, sending him on the run. You need to be there with him. He’s going to need the help.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I should have told you guys sooner, but…” I looked out the window at the city as we drove down the street, “I fucked up. But Rumlow is a HYDRA agent, and so is Pierce. Just drop me off at the Tower and go back to the hospital. Get the flash drive, it’s behind bubble gum.”

“You don’t want to come?” she looked over at me briefly. “You always want to go on the dangerous missions.”

“This is something you guys need to do together,” I turned so I could watch her expressions. “Nat, you and Steve are my best friends. I love you both dearly. But after this, you guys are going to stop being so pig-headed and go on a date.” She glared at me and I sighed, “He needs to know he can trust you. I didn’t have time to tell him anything before Rumlow took him. Again, that's my bad, because I should have told you guys earlier.”

She took a deep breath, “Why didn’t you? For that matter, why didn’t you tell us about the assassin? And don’t tell me that you don’t know who he is, because I saw the look on your face when Fury coded. You looked guilty as hell.”

“He’s the Winter Soldier.”

“Fuck, seriously?” she pulled into the Tower parking lot. “Please tell me you are joking. He has dozens of assassinations in his name over the last fifty years. If it was him, he’s dangerous.”

“I know, that’s why I’m not coming with you guys,” I looked out the window so she wouldn’t see the lie on my face. I kept my voice even, “I don’t want Steve to have to worry about me.” Opening the door, I climbed out then turned to look at her, “Go back to the hospital, Nat. Steve needs you.”


	32. Chapter 32

2014

I stood outside Sam’s door, not sure if I should knock or not. It had been a few days since the incident at the Triskelion. Since I was friends with Steve, SHIELD had brought me in to interrogate me. Ask if I knew where he was. I didn’t have to lie, because I couldn’t remember exactly where he was going. They eventually had to release me because Tony showed up with a lawyer.

Footsteps pounded up behind me, “Brianna, what are you doing here?”

I turned and saw Sam, “Remember what we talked about?” He nodded, “That’s coming soon. I’m not sure when, but soon.” I hefted the bag I was carrying, “You mind if I stay with you until they show up?”

“Sure,” he unlocked the door and went to the fridge. Getting out some orange juice, “You want any?”

“No, thanks.” I sat down at the table, “How have you been, Sam?” He unscrewed the jug and went to take a sip. Then there was a knock at the door. Sam gave me a look and I smiled, “You should get that.”

He opened the door, seeing Steve and Natasha standing there, “Hey, man.”

“I’m sorry about this. We need a place to lay low,” Steve sounded exhausted.

Natasha added, “Everyone we know is trying to kill us.”

“Not everyone,” Sam said and moved out of the way.

As they walked it, both of them noticed me. I stood and walked over to them, taking in their dirty appearance, “You guys okay?”

Natasha just nodded. Steve grimaced, “Yeah, we’re fine.” He gave me a quick hug, “What are you doing here?”

I just handed him my bag, “I’ve got clothes in here for you and Nat, as well as a couple of guns from her stash.”

“There’s a guest bedroom down the hall,” Sam said, pointing. “Go ahead and take showers, we can talk when you get out.”

Steve took the bag and they went back to the room, together. Sam looked at me, “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure I should…” I stopped and sighed, “Look, maybe you should take a shower too. They’re going to be a bit before they’re done cleaning up.”

Sam nodded and left me alone in the living room. I sat down at the table, not sure what I should do. Never had I felt more useless than I did in this situation. I may know some of the future events, but I didn’t know how to fix the situation that I had fucked up.

While the two showers ran, I decided to make some breakfast, thinking that the others might be hungry. I made scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee. As I cooked, Sam came out and looked at me, “Are you okay?”

I plated up the food, “I’m fine.”

“Brianna, you can’t play me, girl. I may have been born on a Wednesday, but it wasn’t last Wednesday.” He crossed his arms as I filled up four coffee mugs, “I work with wounded vets, I can tell when someone is hurting.”

I sighed, “I just messed up, that’s all. Go see if they’re done, please. I really don't want to talk about this right now.”

They came out and sat at the table, I kept my plate at the counter, still feeling guilty. Natasha took a bite then said, “So, the question is, who at SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?”

“Pierce,” Steve said.

I looked at him, shocked that he figured it out. They just kept talking to each other, ignoring me. Natasha said, “Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world.”

“But he’s not working alone.” Steve looked at me, finally, “Zola’s algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.”

“So was Jasper Sitwell.”

“So, the real question is, how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?”

Sam looked at me and I shrugged. He grabbed a folder and took it over to them, “The answer is, you don’t.”

“What’s this?” Steve asked as he picked it up.

“Call it a resume.”

I started washing the dishes, letting them discuss the folder. The water drowned out the sound of their talking, so I didn’t hear when someone approached me. A hand touched my back and I turned, startled. Sam stood there, “You should come over, we’re making a plan to kidnap Sitwell.”

“Did you tell them about…”

“The wings?” He grinned, “Yeah. It was your idea, you know. I never would have told them otherwise.”

“Sam,” I placed my hands on the counter and hung my head. “I thought I would be able to do this with you guys, but I’m worried they won’t trust me after what I did.”

“Sweetheart,” Steve’s voice said softly. I turned to see him sitting at the table. Both him and Natasha looked at me with varying degrees of pity, “We’re not upset with you. Yeah, you should have told us earlier that Pierce and Rumlow were HYDRA, but neither of us is hurt. And telling us wouldn’t have changed anything. After all, you did tell Fury that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD.”

“No, don’t try to make me feel better.” I turned back to the sink, “I fucked up.”

“We all fuck up sometimes,” Sam said softly. “It’s how we atone for those fuck-ups that will show us who we really are.”

I looked at him, “Fine.” I went over to the table and sat down, “So, what’s the plan?”

“First, tell us about the Winter Soldier,” Natasha said, staring me down. “I can tell that you know more than you are saying.”

“Does it matter?” I asked. I looked at Steve before turning back to Natasha, “If I tell you all I know, that will change how you react to him. And you need to be able to react. I’m not going to let you risk your life for…”

Steve’s eyes widened, “Brianna, are you saying that he is Buc…”

“No,” I said sharply, not looking at him. “I’m not saying that at all. Don’t put words into my mouth because I can guarantee you won't like the outcome.” Once I felt I could control my facial expression, I turned to look at him, “The Winter Soldier is dangerous. He has a similar serum to what you got running through him, so he is strong, really strong. And with his metal arm…”

“Wait, this dude has a metal arm?” Sam interrupted.

“Yeah, he lost it after…” I stopped myself. “That doesn’t matter either. What does is that he is being controlled by upper-level HYDRA agents. He’s a super-soldier who has killed countless people. If I tell you some sob story about how he came to be, you might treat him differently, and that could get someone hurt, or worse.”

“If you say we don’t need to know, we’ll trust you,” Natasha reached out and grabbed my hand. “We trust you, Brianna, even if you don’t trust yourself.”

“Alright, well we need to go pick up Sam’s wings, then go get Sitwell,” Steve looked at me. “Did you bring your weapons?”

“Yeah, they’re in the bag I gave you.”

“Go get them, we need to get moving.”

 

We set up surveillance near the restaurant Sitwell and the senator ate at, just waiting for them to come out. Once they did and the senator left, Sam called him, spoofing Pierce’s number. It was just me and Sam, sitting at the coffee shop waiting.

“Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious.” Sam paused, “The good looking guy in the sunglasses, your ten o’clock… Your other ten o’clock.” Once Sitwell looked over, Sam held up his drink, “There you go… You’re going to go around the corner to your right. There’s a grey car, two spaces down. You and I are going to take a ride.”

Sam paused to listen to Sitwell again, “Because that tie looks really expensive and I’d hate to mess it up.” A laser light shone on his tie and Sitwell looked terrified.

He hung up the phone and hurried to do as Sam asked. As he rounded the corner, Sam and I got up, meandering over the same way he went. Once we got to the car, Natasha looked at us as she shoved him into the back seat, “Took you long enough.”

We drove him to a tall building, with him sandwiched uncomfortably between Steve and Natasha in the back seat. They had all come to the conclusion that the soldiers should be the one holding him, and I had no complaints about that.

On the top of the building, Steve shoved him through the door onto the roof, “Tell me about Zola’s algorithm.”

“Never heard of him,” Sitwell said quickly.

“What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?”

“I was throwing up, I get seasick,” Sitwell had a smirk on his face, knowing that Captain America would never truly torture anyone for information. His legs hit the edge of the roof and he started to fall, but Steve grabbed him, “Is this little display meant to insinuate that you can throw me off the roof? Cause it’s really not your style, Rogers.”

Steve let go of his jacket, “You’re right, it’s not. It’s hers.”

He took a step to the side and Natasha kicked him off the edge of the building. After a few seconds, Sam flew up and threw Sitwell back onto the roof. We walked over to him, but Sitwell just held up his hands, terrified, “Zola’s algorithm is a program for Insight’s targets.”

“What targets?” Steve asked.

“You, the TV anchor in Cairo, the undersecretary of defense, a high school Valedictorian Iowa City, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange… anyone who’s a threat to HYDRA. Now or in the future.”

“In the future?” Steve looked down at Sitwell, “How could it know?”

Sitwell laughed, “How could it not?” Sitwell stood, “The twenty-first century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it.” We all just stared at him as he looked at each one of us, “Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores…  Zola’s algorithm evaluates people’s past to predict their future.”

“And what then?”

Sitwell looked scared, “Oh, my God. Pierce is gonna kill me.”

“What then?” Steve asked again, his voice turning mean.

“Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time.”

Steve looked at Sam, “Hold him for a second.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side, “This is what you were trying to warn Fury about, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck,” he turned away and walked over to the edge of the building. I followed and stood next to him. “What are we supposed to do, Brianna?”

“We stop them.”

“How?” he turned to me. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, “How the fuck do we stop powerful warships that are going to destroy millions?”

“Look, we need to get Sitwell off the roof. Maybe we can use him.”

He narrowed his eyes, “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Steve,” I placed a hand on his arm. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes, but…”

“Let’s go, then. We can talk about this later. We should try to get back to SHIELD.”

Back in the car, we drove on the freeway. I kept glancing out the window, knowing what was coming. I said softly to myself, “Fuck, I hope this works.”

Sitwell said from between Natasha and Sam, “HYDRA doesn’t like leaks.”

“So why don't you try sticking a cork in it?” Sam said from the driver's seat.

Natasha said, “Insight’s launching in sixteen hours, we’re cutting it a little bit close here.”

“I know.” Steve’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, “We’ll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly.”

“What?” Sitwell exclaimed. “Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea.”

A loud thud landed on the roof and a metal arm reached in, grabbed Sitwell, throwing him into traffic. He landed on the road and got hit by a large truck, dying instantly. Then bullets started flying into the car from the roof until Steve pulled the emergency brake, making the Winter Soldier go flying off the roof.

Another car smashed into ours, pushing us forward. The Soldier jumped back onto the car, broke the window and pulled out the steering wheel. The truck behind us kept hitting the car, and we all climbed into the front seat. Steve held up his shield yelling, “Hang on.”

He broke the door and we laid on it, using it to protect our bodies from the road. Sam and I fell off, but Natasha and Steve were protected. The truck that had been hitting us, stopped, the Soldier on the hood of the car.

I pushed myself up, my entire body radiating pain from the fall. Reaching for my gun, I realized it had disappeared, as had the knives. But when I thought about them, they appeared in my hands. I was really going to have to thank Thor for the gift. The daggers were way cooler than anything I could even imagine. I shoved them back in their sheaths, getting behind a car as the Soldier shot at us.

Someone handed him a large gun and he shot it at Steve. When the round hit his shield, it threw him off the bridge and down to the ground. Soldiers kept shooting at us, I looked at Natasha, “Go, I’ll be fine.”

I hid behind the car while she and Sam moved away, drawing their fire. When the shooting stopped near the car, I looked around and saw the Soldier sitting on the ground, he took off his eye mask and stood back up. Then he started shooting down below at Natasha. He jumped over the side of the bridge, and I heard a car crunch.

The other bad guys rappelled off the side of the bridge down to the ground. When I raced to the edge, hoping to be able to use their ropes, but they were still standing beneath them, shooting at the bus. Fuck, what was I supposed to do? I needed to get to the Soldier.

There was one bad guy left up top and I saw Sam come at him with a knife, grabbing the rifle away from him. I ran over, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m going to give them cover fire,” Sam spoke swiftly, his tone serious.

I watched as Steve and Sam took out some of the guys shooting on the street. Sam yelled to Steve, “Go, I got this.”

While he shot, I said, “I need to get down there.”

“There’s no way you’re going to be able to…”

I took a few steps back from the edge, “Wish me luck, Sam.” I ran and launched myself over the side. The ground came racing toward me and I cursed my bad decision making. But when I got near the ground, for some reason I seemed to slow down until I was only a couple of feet off the ground. Time sped back up them, dropping me down.

I fell to the ground, pain radiating up my leg. My ankle must have gotten twisted as I landed, but I was still alive when I shouldn’t be. Sam yelled down, “You dumb shit, what were you thinking?” A shot rang out and another bad guy went down. 

I limped over to him as quick as I could, taking the gun off him. I yelled back, “I’m fine.”

I hurried toward the sound of gunfire, as quickly as I could. When I got over there, Steve and the Soldier were fighting. I held up the rifle and fired a shot at him. He stopped the bullet with his arm and looked at me. Steve came at him with the shield, and the Soldier flipped him over, taking the shield from him. Using it, he shoved Steve back and then threw it at him so it stuck into a van.

Then he turned to me. I threw down the gun, knowing I couldn’t hurt him. Moving toward him, I held up my hands, “Soldat, nu sunt aici să-ți fac rău ( _ Soldier, I am not here to hurt you _ ).”

He paused and I saw Steve moving closer to him. Glaring at him, I shook my head, indicating that I wanted Steve to let me handle it. When he kept moving closer, I yelled, “Pe mine mă vrei ( _ It’s me you want _ ).”

I started moving toward him more quickly, and the Soldier did as well. Wolf found its way into my hand, and I ducked, narrowly missing getting punched by a metal arm. The Soldier and I grappled, me not doing so well. I felt a pain in my side and looked down, seeing Winter in the Soldier’s hand.

Instead of screaming, I put Wolf away and wrenched Winter out of my body, sheathing it as well. Then I jumped at the Soldier, wrapping my legs around his waist. He carried me over and slammed my back into a van. Grunting, I reached up and ripped off his mask.

I heard Steve exclaim, “Bucky?”

The Soldier looked at me, “Cine eşti ( _ Who are you _ )?”

Grabbing his face in my hands, I pulled it closer to mine, “Eu sunt a ta ( _ I am yours _ ).” I kissed him hard. The moment our lips met, I realized that he was the missing piece. It felt like home, more than it ever did when Steve had kissed me.

Bucky’s hands gripped my ass as he held me against the van and kissed me. He was still the Soldier, but underneath the programming, he was a man as well. I reached into my pocket, grabbing the injector I had brought for just this occasion. Reaching up, I threaded my hands in his hair, groaning against his mouth. Then I plunged the injector into his neck.

He released me and I fell to the ground. His eyes looked so confused. They looked around until they saw Steve. Bucky said softly, “Steve?” Then he collapsed to the ground.

Steve ran over to me, “What the fuck was that, sweetheart?” He pulled me up, “I thought you said the Soldier wasn’t Bucky. And how did you knock him out? Why were you kissing him?”

I swayed a bit and brought my hand to my stomach. When I pulled it away, I saw the blood covering my fingers. Sam flew in, landing next to us. He rushed over to me, “Goddammit, what the fuck were you thinking? Jumping off that bridge, running after a fight? You’re going to get yourself killed.” 

The sound of sirens drew closer to us. I looked at them, “Guys, that’s not good news. Those aren't police sirens.”

Then we were surrounded by SHIELD agents. They held guns to us and Rumlow yelled, “Drop the shield Captain, get on your knees.”

We did as they said, one of the agents taking Wolf and Winter from me. I had to will them to not come directly back to me right away, because otherwise, it would be obvious they weren’t from this planet. I stared as an agent held a gun to Steve’s head. But a news helicopter flew overhead and I heard Rumlow say, “Not here.”

They put us in handcuffs and dragged us over to a van, shoving the four of us in the back. A couple of agents carried Bucky over as well. One looked at Rumlow, “What should we do with him?”

“Throw him in the back with them.” Rumlow grinned at us evilly, “If he wakes and kills them, that makes my life easier. One less mess I will have to explain.”

 


	33. Chapter 33

2014

As we drove along in the SHIELD van, Steve stared down at Bucky, “Is that really him?”

“Yeah,” I would have reached out to him, but our hands were shackled together. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you would have reacted differently if I had.” I turned to Natasha, seeing blood seeping out of her shoulder, “Fuck, you were shot.”

“I’ll live,” she said. “Are you hurt?”

I swallowed against the pain in my stomach, not wanting them to know how bad it was Instead, I said, “My ankle is pretty fucked up.”

“Yeah, that’s because you jumped off a fucking bridge, dumb shit,” Sam said.

Natasha and Steve turned to look at me. Steve said, “You did what? And you yelled at me for jumping out of a plane without a parachute. At least I knew I would survive. Please tell me you knew that you would be fine.”

“Um,” I looked down at Bucky, not wanting to look at anyone. “Actually, I didn’t. I just hoped I would be.”

“Fuck,” Steve leaned his head back against the wall. “If my hands were free, I would put you over my knee and beat your ass red.”

“You guys can talk about the kinky stuff later. What I want to know is how is it possible that Bucky is alive?” Sam asked. “That was like seventy years ago.”

“Zola,” Steve said softly. “Bucky’s whole unit was captured in 1943, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and…”

“None of that's your fault, Steve,” Natasha said.

“Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.”

Sam looked at Natasha and saw how heavily she was bleeding, “We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck.”

One of the guards pulled out an electric rod and shocked the other guard. Hill pulled off the mask, “Ah. That thing was squeezing my brain.” She looked at Sam, “Who’s this guy?”

“Not now, Maria,” Steve said. “Do you have a plan?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“We have to take Bucky with us,” I said. They all looked at me like I was nuts, “I’m not leaving without him. So we can either take him with us, or you can leave me here.”

“Fuck,” Hill said. “Fine. I don’t like it, but I would have my ass handed to me if I left you here.” She walked over and cut a hole in the floor. “This might hurt.”

One by one, we exited the vehicle on a sled that she had attached to the bottom of the car. Steve took Bucky since he was the only one strong enough to do so. A van had been following us, and it grabbed us as we sat on the sled.

Eventually, we were all in the van, Bucky still unconscious. Steve looked at me, “What did you give him?”

“A tranq that Bruce uses when he wants to sleep but feels too angry. It’s a dose usually only used on Hulk,” I said.

“Smart,” Hill said as the van pulled to a stop.

Sam and Steve carried Bucky, as Natasha and I followed Hill. I held a hand to my stomach, trying not to faint. I knew I had lost a lot of blood, but I need to stay standing until I could tell them not to hurt him.

Someone came running toward us. Hill yelled, “GSW to the chest. She’s lost maybe a pint.”

“Maybe two,” Sam said.

“Let me take her,” the man said.

“She’ll want to see him first,” Hill said.

Steve looked at the unconscious Bucky in his arms, “You got a secure place we can store him?”

“Yeah,” the man looked at Hill. “Take her to see him, I’ll show Captain Rogers where to stash this guy.”

“Steve, don’t let them hurt him?”

He looked at me before they left, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re just going to lock him up.”

They left and I followed Natasha and Hill. We walked in and saw Fury laying on the bed. As we walked over, Sam and Steve entered the room.

Fury grinned, “About damn time.” We moved closer to the bed and Fury looked at me, “I owe you an apology.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” Fury sighed, “I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I felt myself sway and my vision started to blacken. “You were just doing what you thought was right.”

“That doesn’t mean I…”

I didn’t hear the rest of what he said because I started to fall to the floor, my vision darkening.

I woke up on a bed in a small room, Steve standing next to me glaring down at me, “Why didn’t you tell us you’d been stabbed?”

I shrugged, “Didn’t want you to worry.” I looked around, “Where are the others?”

“They’re with Fury. He’s telling them how he survived being shot and dying.” Steve still looked mad, “You should have said something.”

“What was I supposed to do? Tell you I’d been stabbed when we were being taken by Rumlow and his band of thugs? Tell you in van one or van two when there was nothing that could be done about it?” I forced myself to sit up, grimacing at the pain. I was only wearing my bra and underwear, the other stuff must have been too blood-soaked to keep on. “You got something I can wear?”

He handed me a shirt, “Hill had some extra clothes for me and Natasha, this will cover you. But I don’t think you should be moving. You're pretty wounded.”

I grabbed it from him and pulled it over my head. Then I turned so I could climb off the bed, sighing when I saw the brace around my ankle, “Please tell me it’s just sprained.”

“Fractured in four places, pretty severely too.” Steve put his arm around me when I climbed off the bed, “Alright, let’s go see the others.”

We walked into the room as Hill said, “Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful.”

“Okay, if you already did. Besides, I wasn’t sure who to trust.” Fury looked at Steve and me, “Miss Mayfield, I see the doctor stitched you up.”

“Yeah,” I hobbled over to the bed. “Did they tell you about the Winter Soldier?”

“About how he’s really Bucky Barnes and in our holding cell? Yeah, they did.” He gave me a very dad look, “What were you thinking? Jumping off a bridge, not knowing if you would survive. Going after the Soldier, without backup. Of all the stupid things, Miss Mayfield, this tops them all.”

“What can I say? I wasn’t about to let Bucky die or escape.” I smiled down at him, “Besides, I’m all better now. Your doc fixed me up.”

“With a broken ankle and a three-inch stab wound?” Natasha said from where she sat. “I get that you want to save everyone, but not everyone deserves to be saved.”

“Don’t fucking start with me, Nat,” I said as I turned to her. “You were an assassin, are you saying you wouldn’t deserve to be saved.”

“No, that’s not what she’s saying,” Steve said as he came over to me. He placed a hand on my back, “We’re just trying to say that he might not be Bucky anymore.”

I wrenched myself away from him, groaning when I landed on my ankle too hard, “Fuck.” I glared at him, “I told you I would get him back. Now you all are trying to make me feel like the bad guy. Go fuck yourselves.”

A young man entered the room, “Captain Rogers, you asked to be notified when the captive woke up.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Steve started heading to the door, but I said, “No, Steve, you stay here and plan how you all are going to take down those helicarriers. Try to remember they are launching soon. I’ll go see him.”

“But you’re not even dressed,” he said softly.

I looked down at myself, “So what? My ass is covered, and I’ll have this guy with me.” I pointed at the young man who carried a large gun, “I’ll be fine.” I hobbled over to him and looked at his nameplate, “Sergeant Andrews, please take me to see the captive.”

He looked at Steve, “Sir?”

“Rogers, Mayfield is right. We need to plan,” Fury said. “Andrews, take her to see him. But keep her safe or it’s your ass.”

“Yes sir,” the young sergeant said, his voice quaking.

We walked slowly, with Andrews helping me walk by putting an arm around my waist. The cell wasn’t too far away, so we didn’t have to walk long. When we got there, I saw a solid metal door with a small window. When I looked inside, I could see Bucky sitting on a bed, his head in his hands.

“Open the door, Andrews,” I said.

“No, ma’am. Director Fury would kill me,” his voice shook.

I looked over and saw the controls, “Fine, then I will. But you’ll want to shut the door once I'm inside. Otherwise, he might get out and the Soldier is dangerous.” I turned to look at the young man, “And don’t open this door unless I am dead or I ask you too, do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I pressed the button and the door unlocked. As I opened it and walked in, Bucky looked up at me but stayed seated on the bed. The door slammed shut, and I heard it lock. I walked over to him, “Do you remember me?”

“You kissed me,” he sounded lost. “Why did you kiss me?”

I crouched down in front of him, then grimaced when I felt pain in my ankle and stomach. Slowly, I stood back up and placed a hand on my side. When I pulled it away, I saw blood, “Well, I guess I ripped my stitches."

Bucky stood and lifted the edge of my shirt, inspecting the wound, “I did that.” He touched the edges of the wound, “You’ll be fine. It’s only bleeding slightly, and I doubt you would leave anyway. I heard what you told the guy watching us.”

I looked over at the door and saw the sergeant staring in through the window. When I glared at him, he turned away, “Do you know who you are?”

Bucky sat back down, “The man on the bridge, who was he? I knew him.”

“Yes, you do,” I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair and down his cheek. Lifting his head up, I moved closer, “His name is Steve Rogers. He was your best friend.”

“Steve?” his voice held a note of recognition. “Why does that name sound familiar?” He stood and looked down at me. When he spoke, his voice shook with terror, “Who am I?”

“Your name is Bucky Barnes, and you are a good person.” I reached up with both of my hands so I could cup his face, “I don’t care what you’ve done as the Winter Soldier, you are a good person.”

Suddenly, his demeanor changed and an angry look came over his face. He pushed me back until I was pressed against the front wall, out of sight of the door. His metal arm pressed against my throat, “Who the fuck are you? Why have you captured me?”

“Bucky,” I said softly. His arm pressed harder against me and I coughed. Taking both my hands, I pushed on his arm as hard as I could, shoving him back a few inches. He looked at me, surprised. I just walked forward, reaching out for him again, “Either kill me or kiss me, I don’t care. The only thing I care about right now is you. I’m not letting HYDRA take you back.”

“Pierce,” Bucky spat the name out. “He’ll be wanting a mission report.”

“I’m not letting him get you.” I reached up to touch his face, stopping only when he looked scared. I let my hand fall to my side, “I swear on my life, James Buchanan Barnes, I will not let anyone harm you.”

He shook and took several steps back until he met the bed. He sat down, resting his head in his hands again, “I won’t be wiped again. Not again. Please don't wipe me.”

Moving over to him, I sat down next to him, “You won’t be, I promise.” I pulled him into my arms, rubbing his back, “I swear to you.”

The door opened and Bucky jumped up, ready to fight. Steve stood there, looking at us. He looked at Bucky for a long second, then turned to me, “Brianna, we’ve got a plan. But you’re not coming on this one.”

I stood and moved in front of Bucky, “I figured. The stab wound and broken ankle kind of gave that away.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, eyes moving back to Bucky.

“I’m not leaving him.” My eyes pleaded with Steve to understand, “He’s confused, Steve. What I saw from before, they had to wipe him again because he started remembering. He’s not going to hurt me.”

Steve’s eyes fell to my throat, narrowing when he saw red marks from where Bucky had held me against the wall, “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” I turned to Bucky, “It’s okay, I’ll be right back.” Moving toward Steve, I stopped when I got close to him saying softly, “Go, take Sam and bring down those helicarriers. I’ll be here with Bucky until I can get him calm enough for transport, then I’ll take him back to the Tower.”

“Stark won’t be happy with you bringing back another stray.”

“I love Tony to death and he’s like a father to me, but if anyone tries to stop me from bringing Bucky in, I will take him elsewhere.” I pulled Steve into a tight hug, whispering in his ear, “No one deserves to suffer through the things he has. I will not allow anyone to treat him like an animal. He is a human being who has been through more in his life than anyone should ever have to deal with.”

Steve pulled back, “Fine. I’ll tell Tasha to check on you in a few hours.” He turned to leave, “But Brianna, if I found out he hurt you, I’m not going to be happy.”

After Steve left and the door shut, I turned back to Bucky who still looked like he was ready to fight. I walked over to him, “It’s okay.”

Bucky glared at me, “You really shouldn’t be here with me.” He picked me up in his arms, carrying me over to the bed. He threw me down and fell on top of me, “I could do anything to you, and no one would stop me.”

I reached up and grabbed his face, pulling him closer to me, “Maybe I would let you.” I pulled him the last couple of inches and kissed him hard. Again, I felt the same thing. That feeling of rightness, like he was my everything. If Wong hadn’t told me about the chis when I first met him, I probably wouldn’t have realized what this feeling was. But with Bucky, it felt like I was soaring when he kissed me.

His entire body weight pressed against me and I groaned in pain, loudly. He pulled back, “I hurt you.”

“It’s just my stomach,” I reached for his head again, but he rolled to the side on the small bed.

“No, I won’t hurt you again. You are the only one who hasn’t hurt me. Even... “ he closed his eyes. “Even Steve hurt me.”

“Steve didn’t know who you were.”

“I still don’t know who he is either.” Bucky pulled me against him, pressing his front to my back. His metal arm curved over my stomach, holding me in place, “Sleep, this Natasha will come and check on you in a few hours. You should rest, it will heal your wound faster.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wasn’t a super-soldier like him. In a few hours, I would still be as injured as I was currently. So, I simply nodded, “Alright, let’s get some sleep.”


	34. Chapter 34

2014

A knock on the metal door woke me up. As I moved, I realized I was cold and alone. Sitting up, I looked at saw Hill through the door. She raised an eyebrow and I held up a finger, indicating that she should wait. I looked around and saw Bucky sitting in a corner, his legs drawn up against his chest, head resting on his knee.

I hobbled over and crouched down in front of him, placing my hand on his arm. His head whipped up and he grabbed my wrist with his metal hand, twisting hard it to the side. I hid the fact that he was hurting me and reached out with my other hand, softly touching his cheek, “Bucky, it’s okay.”

Confusion filled his eyes, “Who is Bucky?”

My eyes closed to hide my shock. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, HYDRA had wiped his so many times there was no way it wouldn’t have screwed him up. The pressure on my wrist was starting to hurt, so I opened my eyes and said softly, “You’re hurting me.”

His eyes flew to where he grabbed me and he dropped my wrist. His head fell back onto his knees, “I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me. I’ll go to the chair willingly. Just... don't hurt me again.”

“Fuck,” I whispered. My wrist was already starting to bruise and I knew that Steve was not going to be happy with me getting hurt, again. But he would just have to deal with it. I placed both my hands on Bucky's biceps, rubbing gently, “You never have to do that again, Bucky, I swear to you.” I placed my finger under his chin and lifted his face so he looked at me. I wanted to cry at the terrified expression on his face, “Do you want to get out of here?”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he searched my face for deception. After a few seconds, he nodded and I stood up, holding my hand out to him, “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll take you back to my place, get you a shower, new clothes, and some food. I swear on my life, no one will hurt you.”

He didn’t grab for my hand but pushed himself up, probably not wanting to hurt me again. He kept his head down and stood there with his hands at his side. It took my entire willpower to not pull him into my arms. 

I walked over to the door and nodded. Hill opened the door and looked in. She saw Bucky standing by the wall and then looked at me, “Are we good?” That question encompassed so many things, but I was glad that she hadn’t asked if he was dangerous. I nodded and she looked relieved. Handing me a bag, she said, “Here’s some pants and your belt and dagger holsters. Sorry, I couldn’t get them. I think Rumlow has them.”

Placing the bag on the bed, I pulled out the clean jeans and struggled into them. I tied the shirt in a knot so it wouldn’t hang too low and pulled out the belt. Blood covered a large portion of the leather, but I still put it on. Then I closed my eyes and held my hands, palms up, willing the daggers to come to me. After a few seconds, they appeared, Winter still covered in my blood. I sheathed them.

“That’s a pretty neat trick,” Hill said.

“Yeah, well they’re pretty neat daggers. Thor gave them to me.”

She nodded, “Gotcha.” Her eyes darted over to Bucky, “Natasha had to go with the guys back to SHIELD headquarters. I’m supposed to take you to the Tower if you’re ready to go.”

I walked over to Bucky and lifted his face up so he looked at me, “You ready, Bucky?” He nodded and I grabbed his hand in mine, “Come on.”

We got to the door, but Hill blocked it. She looked embarrassed, “Um, the guys are a little bit frightened of him. They heard about what he can do. Is there any way to…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew what she wanted. I turned to Bucky, “My ankle is fractured, do you think you could carry me? It hurts pretty bad right now.” None of that was a lie, even though I could have walked.

He nodded, and put an arm behind my back, the other behind my knees. As he picked me up, I put my arm around his neck for balance, “Alright, let’s go.”

We walked past several agents who looked uncomfortable, but when they saw that Bucky wasn’t an immediate threat, they calmed down. A van was parked out in front of the hidden base, the back door open. I could tell it was a prison transport van, but I could understand why they were worried. Bucky didn’t even question it, just carried me into the back, sitting down with me on his lap.

Hill went into the front seat with the driver and we left, heading back to New York and the Tower. We spent most of the time in silence, but I couldn’t take his sad expression any longer. I looked at him, “Do you remember anything?”

He shook his head slightly, confusion evident, “I remember fighting. Who was that man on the bridge? I feel like I know him.”

I sighed, “His name is Steve Rogers. You guys were best friends growing up.”

“Steve,” he frowned. “Why does that sound familiar?”

The van stopped. A few seconds later the back door opened and I climbed off Bucky’s lap. We got out of the van, with him helping me down. “Thanks, Maria,” I said to Hill.

“No problem,” she looked at me, then at Bucky. “If you need anything, let me know. We can be here in less than an hour.”

I took a step in front of Bucky, “We’ll be fine.” I grabbed Bucky’s hand and hobbled over to the elevator.

On the way up, I kept his hand in mine, our fingers intertwined. I was trying to offer him as much comfort and support as I could, but he still looked like a lost puppy. When the doors opened on the main floor, I stepped out and he followed. Tony sat on one of the couches, with Wanda and Loki on another.

I stopped and looked at Bucky, “This will just take a second, but I need to lay down some ground rules for them.” I moved my head until he was looking into my eyes, which wasn’t easy because he still looked at the ground, “I swear to you, no one will hurt you. I won’t let them.”

Pulling him over, I glared at Tony, daring him to say one bad thing. He looked at me, then at Bucky. His mouth opened, then shut, and he shook his head. Sighing, he leaned back against the couch, “So, Cap said you jumped off a bridge?”

I let out a sigh of relief, “Yeah, I know it was stupid. Fractured my ankle in four places.”

“You could have died, kiddo.”

“I know, but I wasn’t thinking.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” his voice dripped with sarcasm.

I felt Bucky growing tense beside me and his head moved up to look at Tony. Before he could say or do anything, I said quickly, “This is Bucky. He’s staying with us for a while.” Looking at each of the three sitting there, I added, “And if anyone so much as even thinks about laying a finger on him, I will hurt them in ways they can't even begin to imagine. Do you understand?”

Wanda held up her hands, “You’ll get no argument from me.” She looked at Loki, her eyes soft, “What about you, hon?”

“I guess this means I shouldn’t pop into your apartment unannounced?” Loki asked mischievously. “Just because I am a god, doesn’t mean I want to go against you, Brianna. You could kick my ass back without trying.”

I sighed, knowing he was just trying to lighten the mood. Looking at Tony, I waited for his response. Tony looked at me, trying to figure out what was up. I knew that Steve must have told him who Bucky actually was because he took way too long to answer. “As long as Mr. Barnes doesn’t do anything stupid, I have no problems with him staying here.” He turned to glare at Bucky, “I don’t take kindly to people hurting those I care about.”

Not wanting Tony to start asking questions about my other injuries, I gave him a tight smile and said, “Alright, well, we’re going upstairs.”

I dragged Bucky to the elevator. As we rode up, I thought about what to say to him. But I couldn’t come up with the words. Instead, I just waited until we were back in my room. I pulled him into the bedroom and forced him to sit on the bed.

Stepping between his legs, I reached under his chin and lifted up his face, “I want you to know, Bucky Barnes, that you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Nothing you did was your fault. They did this to you.” I cupped his face in my hands, running my fingers over his cheeks, “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

“No,” his voice was almost too soft to hear.

“I see someone who even though he had been tortured by HYDRA when Steve said he needed people to go back and stop them, you were one of the first to volunteer. You are a hero, Bucky Barnes.” I ran my fingers through his hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, “The things you did as the Winter Soldier, that wasn’t you.” I placed a kiss on his brow bone, “You are not what they made you.”

I kissed his cheek, “You are a good person.” My mouth moved lower, and I placed a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth, “You are worth so much more than you know.” Finally, I placed a gentle kiss on his lips, keeping it chaste.

When I pulled back, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his face to my stomach. I felt my shirt grow damp, and I knew he was crying. I just murmured soft nothings, running my hands through his hair. We stayed like that for several minutes, me comforting him while he cried.  This side of Bucky Barnes was not one that I knew. In the movies, he had seemed so strong, so angry. Only when he was in the hands of HYDRA did he show how broken and hurt he truly was. But this man in my arms, he seemed worse off than I had thought he would be.

As his arms loosened, I pulled back slightly and looked down at him, “Do you want a shower?” I wiped away the tears from his cheeks, “I can make you something to eat while you get cleaned up.”

“Okay,” he stood up so abruptly I had to back up or he would bump into me. His blue eyes searched mine. Bucky reached up and ran the back of his fingers down my face, “Why are you doing this? Why do you care?”

“That’s not an easy thing to explain.” I looked up at him, trying to convey how much he meant to me through my eyes, “I just want you to be happy, Bucky. You are important.” I leaned forward and gave him another kiss, this time kissing him deeper than before. I pulled away, breathless, “Go, take a shower.”

He went into the bathroom, and once the water turned on I pulled out some of Steve’s clothes he had left in my dresser, placing them on the bed. Just a pair of jeans and a tank top, but since they were about the same size, the items should fit him.

Then I went into the kitchen to make him a large sandwich. I got out a can of soda as well, knowing that he probably needed carbs after not eating in so long. Steve always ate a lot, so I guessed that Bucky would as well in order to fuel his super-soldier body.

He came out with just a towel wrapped around his waist. I couldn’t help but stare. Even with the metal arm, he was the most gorgeous guy I had even laid eyes on. Where the metal met his skin, red scars ran onto his skin. Other scars crisscrossed his chest, with puckers where he had been shot.

When my eyes moved back up to his face, he looked more clear-headed. His mouth quirked into a little half-smile, “I remember you.” He moved closer to me, stopping only inches from my body, “You are very brave.”

“Oh,” I moved a little closer. “And why is that?”

“I could have killed you without thinking about it,” he reached out and grabbed a lock of my hair, twisting it in his fingers. With his metal arm, he reached out and touched my face softly, “You know, I can feel with this arm. Not everything, but the warmth of your skin, the softness, that I can feel.” His hand snaked around behind my head, “I still don’t understand why you came after me, nor what I am to you. But thank you.”

He kissed me hard and my hands came up, resting on his chest. I could feel him growing hard against me, but I pulled back, not wanting his gratitude to be the reason he did this. I looked up at him, “Bucky, we shouldn’t.”

“Why not?” he leaned down and kissed me again, reaching down to pull my hips against his.

“Do you remember anything from before you fell off the train?”

He frowned and pulled back. His eyes narrowed as he thought, “I don’t know. I remember fighting the guy I recognize on the bridge, you kissing me. I remember sitting in the chair they wiped me in. I don’t remember a train.”

I reached up and cupped his face, “I want you, Bucky. But I’m going to say something, and please don’t take it as me rejecting you.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself, “I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. But I’m not going to take advantage of you when you can barely even remember who you are or where you came from. I want the entire James Buchanan Barnes, not just part of him.”

“I think I understand.” He pulled back further until we stood apart. The look on his face said that he truly did understand, “I’ll go put on the clothes you left out for me.”’

When he left the room, I sank down onto the couch. The feeling of rightness never left, not even when he wasn’t in the room. I took off the belt and daggers, tossing it onto the coffee table. Being around Bucky, I felt more than I ever had with Steve, and that was without knowing him.

My ankle hurt like hell, the stitches on my stomach burned, and my wrist was turning purple. Even with all that pain, I was turned on. If he had pressed me, I would have taken him back into the room and fucked him until I forgot why I was waiting. But Bucky is one of the few men who are truly good. When I said no, he backed up and didn’t even hesitate. Even with his programming, he still retained his humanity.

He came back out, dressed in jeans and tank top, looking even better than he did half-naked. He looked at the sandwich, “Is that for me?” I nodded and he gave me a small smile, “Thanks.”

Standing, I walked over to the counter and waited for him to take a bite. As he chewed, I said, “Bucky, I made you a promise, to not let anyone hurt you. I swear on my life, I won’t let HYDRA take you back, nor will I let my friends touch you.”

Bucky’s eyes went down to my wrist and he frowned when he saw the purple bruise, “I did that, didn’t I?” When I nodded, he closed his eyes, “Fuck. I’m…”

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry.” I reached out and laid my hand over his, “You didn’t know what was going on. Once you are yourself, if you ever raise a hand to me in anger, I will kick your ass before anyone else can. But this,” I held up my other hand with the bruise. “This is not your fault. I don’t blame you. If anyone else does, they have to go through me to get to you.”

I walked over to the door and touched the panel. Quickly, I took off all the people on the door except myself. “Tomorrow, we’re going to add you to the door so you can come and go as you please. But for right now,” I hobbled back over to him. “You’re going to eat and I’m going to sleep. I lost a lot of blood today,” he frowned. “I don’t blame you. It was your programming. I know you wouldn't have hurt me otherwise. Besides, all I was going to say is that I lost a lot of blood today, so I’m feeling a bit lightheaded. After a good nights sleep, I should be feeling better.”

He opened the soda and pushed it toward me, “You need the sugar more than I do.”

I took a sip to appease him, “You can watch television out here if you want to, or you can come and join me in bed.” I smiled at him playfully, shaking my finger, “But no funny business, young man. We’re not going to fondue.”

Bucky started to laugh softly, then it burst out of him loudly. Tears ran down his face he laughed so hard. “God, I can’t believe someone else says that. Steve used to…” he stopped when he realized what he was saying. “I remembered. Steve…” he looked like he was concentrating, trying desperately to bring back a memory that slipped out of his grasp. “Why can’t I remember?”

“It’s okay, Buck.” I walked over and pulled him into a hug, “It will come back. It just takes time.” When I pulled back this time, he just looked confused. I gave him a soft smile and turned to head to the bedroom, “I’m assuming you can work a television. If not, I’ve got some books you can read in the bookcase. Otherwise, I have a king-size bed and you're more than welcome to join me.”

I took off my clothes and put on one of Steve’s old shirts over my naked body before climbing under the covers. Shortly after, Bucky walked in, staring down at me sheepishly. I pointed to the dresser, “There are sleep pants in the bottom drawer. Sorry, I didn’t think or I would have gotten them out earlier.”

He got a pair out and changed in front of me. I had to close my eyes because if I had seen him completely naked, I would have thrown caution to the wind and had him take me right then. Once I felt the bed move, I opened my eyes.

Bucky got under the covers and laid on his side, staring at me. I put my back to him and moved so I pressed against him. Reaching back, I grabbed his arm and wrapped it around my waist, “No leaving this bed until I’m awake this time.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I felt him place a soft kiss on the back of my head, “Thank you again, Brianna.”

“I would do anything for you, Bucky. Anything.” I yawned and closed my eyes, snuggling against his warm frame. Softer, I said it again as I fell asleep, “Anything.”


	35. Chapter 35

2014 

When I woke, I could tell that Bucky had disappeared again. I couldn’t be certain he wouldn’t run, but I didn’t think he would leave, not after getting bits of his memory back. I pushed myself up and climbed out of the bed.

In the living room, Bucky sat on the couch, holding something in his hands. I hobbled over and sank onto the cushion next to him, “Thought you were going to lay in bed with me?”

He looked up and I could see the sadness in his eyes, “I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could think about was the chair and the things they did to me.”

I scooted closer and leaned against him, grabbing his metal arm and wrapping my arms around it, “I’m sorry. You should have woken me up.”

“I wanted to give you time to heal.” Bucky put down the frame he had been holding and touched my purple wrist with his fingers, “Why aren’t you healing faster?”

“I’m not a super-soldier like you and Steve. I’m just a girl.” My eyes moved to the frame and I saw it was the picture of Steve and Bucky from the war, “Are you remembering anything?”

“This man,” he picked up the picture and pointed to Steve. “Steve… I can almost remember him. It’s like ghost memories deep in my brain. When I don’t think about them, they tease me. But when I try to concentrate on the thought, it disappears.” He put the frame back down and lifted me onto his lap so he could wrap both of his arms around me and bury his face in my neck, “Why can’t I remember?”

“I have an idea, Bucky, but I’ll need you to let me go so I can take you there.” He just held onto me tightly, “Do you want to try to sleep? I will do whatever you need to help with that.”

He sighed, “I don’t know. I’m scared.”

Turning my head, I placed a soft kiss on his forehead, “I know. I’m sorry that you went through so much. I’m sorry that HYDRA took your life from you. But you’re safe now, I swear it. You can start a new life, make new memories. And we’ll help you get your old ones back.”

“What if they aren’t good? What if I should leave them buried deep inside?” his voice was muffled against my neck.

Lifting his face up, I looked directly into his eyes, trying to show him how much I cared about him, “I don’t know about your memories of your time with HYDRA. And I don’t know a lot about your time in the military. But Bucky, you had a family and siblings, I know they loved you and you loved them. And then there’s Steve. From everything he’s told me, you guys were best friends growing up, practically inseparable. I know there must be good memories from that time.”

“I don’t want to remember the things they made me do,” he frowned. “How do I do this? How do I start over when I know that I’ve done horrible things? What gives me the right to have a good life after the evil I've done for them?”

Pushing myself off his lap, I stood in front of him, hands on my hips, “James Buchanan Barnes, I don’t want to hear you talk like that about yourself. You are a victim, not an evil person.” I couldn’t crouch, so I straddled his lap so I could grab his face with my hands, “I don’t care what you’ve done. I don’t care how many people you’ve killed. Do you know what I would do to protect you? I would do anything. I would burn the world to the ground if it meant keeping you safe and happy. You are worth more than being thrown to the side because you were forced to do the work of an evil organization bent on the conquest of the known world.”

He smiled then. It was only a small smile, but it still warmed my heart. He reached up and ran a thumb over my cheek, “So, you said you have an idea for helping me with my memory.”

I climbed off his lap and started walking back to the bedroom, “Come on, we need to get dressed.”

I went into the bathroom to change, not wanting the temptation of seeing him naked, or him seeing me naked. As much as I wanted him to throw me on that bed and make me scream, I really did want him to get more comfortable first and get as much of his memory back as possible. If he didn’t get all of it back, I would decide what to do then. But getting him to a point where he felt more confident, less wounded, that was my priority.

My outfit for the day was a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt since I knew I wouldn’t be able to get jeans over the industrial-sized brace they put on my ankle. I had Bucky put back on the jeans and tank top I had given him last night, as they were the only male clothing items I had that were fit for going out in public. Hopefully, Steve would be willing to loan him a jacket or something so no one stared at his metal arm.

When I came out, he looked better. Less terrified than he had just a few minutes prior. I grabbed his hand, “Come on.” We stopped at the panel by the door and I had him put his hand on it to get him in the system. “Now you can get into the apartment without me needing to be here. You and I are the only ones with access. So you can always escape here if you don’t feel safe.”

In the elevator, I spoke, “JARVIS?”

Bucky startled when the robotic British voice spoke, “Yes, Miss Mayfield?”

“Is Bruce in the building?”

“He is in the laboratory. Shall I inform him that you and Mr. Barnes are on your way there?”

I smiled, “Yes, please. Thanks.”

“What was that?” Bucky asked.

“That is the AI that runs everything around here, JARVIS.” I leaned against him to take some of the weight off my ankle, “He has eyes almost everywhere, except the bathrooms, gym locker room, and apartments.”

We walked into the lab and Bruce looked up from what he was doing, “You come in here too often, Brianna.” He stood and walked over, “What’s the problem today?”

I held up my purple wrist, “Can you check this out and wrap it.”

Bucky pulled away from me and I looked up, seeing the devastated look in his eyes. I turned to him and hugged him tightly, “It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you, not even a little bit. Please try to remember that.” I looked up and saw him nod, so I let go and walked back over to Bruce, “I’m worried it might be more than bruised, plus I think someone should check on my stitches.”

“Stitches?” Bruce’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. He shook his head, “Come on, let’s get you on the table." He led me over and picked me up, placing me on the edge. I laid back and lifted my shirt so he could have access. His fingers prodded gently near the wound, “It doesn’t look too bad. Looks like whoever stitched you up did a pretty good job. I’ll just clean it and put a bandage over it to be safe.”

He walked away and brought over our portable x-ray machine, “But first, let’s get that wrist checked out.” He imaged it and went to the screen. The room was silent for several minutes while he stared at the screen. When he came back, he frowned at me, “Well, it’s not broken. But it’s not just sprained. I see a small hairline fracture along both the ulna and the radius. How the hell did you manage that?”

Turning my wrist over in his hand, he saw that the bruise was hand shaped and turned to look at Bucky. He said soft enough so that only I could hear, “I can get you away from him if you need me to.”

“What?” I was so shocked by his offer, I didn’t even know how to respond. Did he not know who this was?

“If he’s abusing you, I can take care of it. The green guy can come out and take care of him. Just say the word.”

“Oh, no, not at all.” I gave Bruce a smile, “This is Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Has no one told you about him?” Bruce shook his head and I grimaced, “Of course not. Wouldn’t want people to know what the fuck was going on.” Using my other hand, I rubbed my eyes, “Bucky was held and brainwashed by HYDRA. He may have stabbed me and grabbed my wrist, but it’s not his fault. I swear to you, he wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed, “Are you sure? I only ask because I care about you. I don't like seeing you hurt.”

“I’m positive.”

“Alright then.” He went over and got another black brace, putting it on my wrist. “It’s just a hairline fracture, so as long as you don’t put too much pressure on it, you should be fine.” Then he cleaned my stitches and put a gauze pad over it, “Anything else?”

As I sat up and pulled down my shirt, I said, “So, I kind of fractured my ankle, too.”

Bruce just sighed, “How did you manage to do that?”

“Um, I might have jumped off a bridge,” I mumbled the words quickly.

His frown got bigger, “Did you just say that you jumped off a bridge?” I nodded, “Fucking hell, Brianna. Are you trying to kill yourself?” He sighed, “I’m guessing you want something to make it easier to walk?” Walking over to a cabinet, he pulled out a cane, “This is the best I can do, especially since you hurt your other hand. No way you can use crutches right now. And since I know you're not going to stay off it...”

I took it from him and climbed off the table, taking a few experimental steps. I sighed in relief, “That feels so much better. Thanks, Bruce.”

“Anytime, kid.”

We went back to the elevator and took it to the main floor. As we got off, Bucky stopped me and frowned, “I’m sorry.”

My eyes closed, “Buck, what did I say about telling me you’re sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, I need to take responsibility for this.” My eyes opened and I looked at him. He had a serious look on his face, “I may have been brainwashed, but I still need to apologize for hurting you, even if I didn’t mean to do it.”

“Fine,” I took a step forward and grabbed his head. Pulling it down, I gave him a soft kiss, “I forgive you.”

A small smile crossed his face after the kiss, “I really like that.”

“Yeah, me too.” I hobbled into the living area. 

Tony and Steve sat on one of the couches, talking. As we neared, I heard Steve say, “I don't think he's safe to be around.”

Tony frowned, “Bri hasn't been wrong yet. Maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. She seems to think that he’s a good guy.”

“You didn't see him, Tony. You didn't see the way he fought her, the way he fought me. You didn't see the red mark on her neck when I went into his holding cell.” Steve sighed, “He’s been with HYDRA so long. I’m worried what he’ll do to her.”

Bucky tensed next to me and I decided I wasn't going to let them continue. Clearing my throat, I said, “First of all, Steve, I told you to stop pretending to be my father. The closest thing I have to a father in this reality is Tony, and he doesn't seem to have a problem with me bringing Bucky here. And since this is his building, you don't get a say.” 

Steve turned around to see me and Bucky standing there, his eyes widening. He took in Bucky’s slumped posture and my rigid one, saying, “Sweetheart, I know that you think you know everything. But this is the real world, it's not a fantasy.”

“No shit Sherlock,” I spat out. I moved closer, hobbling slowly as I was still getting used to using the cane. “You don't think I know that this is real life? I have a broken fucking ankle, a stab wound, and a fractured wrist. I think I can tell this is the real world.” I glared down at him, “And you know what, Bucky is not responsible for any of this. He was motherfucking brainwashed. If you had gotten captured by HYDRA, you would have done the same fucking shit. Just because you had an easier time of it, and became Captain fucking America, doesn't mean that he is any less worthy of your respect and love.”

“Sweetheart,” he started to say. 

I interrupted him, “I know that you’re worried, but he didn’t hurt me on purpose. It was his programming. If you're going to get pissed at him for something that he couldn't control, then I'm not staying here. Because Bucky deserves to get better. He deserves to be around people who actually give a shit for him, and if you don't…” I sighed, “For someone who claims to have been his best friend, you’re a fucking asshole.”

“Kiddo,” Tony said. He had a huge grin on his face, “It's good to see you're feeling better.”

I chuckled, “I actually came to ask you for something, Tony.” 

His eyebrows raised, “Go ahead, whatever you need it's yours.”

“Well, this is an easy request,” I said. “Bucky is remembering bits and pieces of events, but every time he tries to focus on a memory, it slips away from him. So I'd like to get him something so that he can write everything down, maybe a journal or something. And then if there are any photographs in the archives of him and Steve, maybe of his family, then that might help as well.”

Tony gave me a soft smile, then turned to look at Bucky speaking to me, “I can have everything in a few hours.” Looking at my newly wrapped wrist, he asked, “Are you sure you're okay?”

“Honestly, Tony, I have never been better. I may be injured, but I got Bucky out of it.” I couldn’t help the smile that covered my face, “I rescued Bucky. I just changed the future, and that feels fucking fantastic. And by doing that, I found something I didn't think I ever would.”

Both Tony and Steve looked at me, but Tony was the one who spoke, “What did you find, kiddo?”

“Sorry Tony, I don't want to talk about it right now. But I'm sure you'll figure it out fairly soon because in this group there are two geniuses, and you happen to be one of them.” I turned to Steve, “Do you have a sweatshirt or something Bucky can borrow? You guys are about the same size, and I want to take him somewhere to help jog his memory. I don’t think having a metal arm out in public is a good idea right now.”

Steve frowned, “I don't think taking him out of Stark tower is a good idea.”

I glared at him, “I love you, Steve, but you are an idiot. Did I ask you if you thought it was a good idea? No. I am taking him out of Stark tower, with or without your permission. Your say so is not needed in order for me to do things.” I took a step closer and said softly, “This is the reason we broke up. You keep trying to tell me what to do. You keep trying to control me. You’re my best friend. Please don’t make me lose you completely because you won’t stop being a dick.”

Standing, Steve rounded the couch and pulled me into his arms, “I’m sorry, Brianna. I just worry.” He pulled back, “I'm not trying to tell you what to do. All I'm saying is that you don't know how he'll react in crowds. You don't know how he'll react out in the real world. What if he hurts someone?”

I turned to look at Bucky and saw him staring at the ground, looking like a kicked puppy. “Really? Bucky has had his whole life upended. Since coming to Stark Tower, he hasn’t hurt anyone. He hasn’t even raised his voice in anger.” I turned back to Steve, “I'll be fine. He'll be fine. The general populace will be fine. He's not going to do anything, and if he does, I'll take responsibility for it. But I am taking him out of here, and I'm going to show him something that will hopefully at least give him some semblance of his memory back. So please, just support me in this so I can have my best friend back. I miss him when you are like this.”

Steve nodded and left. When he came back a few minutes later, he had a leather jacket and a baseball cap in his hands. He handed them to Bucky. 

Bucky took both of them and put them on, sticking his hands in the pockets. He muttered softly, “Thank you.”

Steve reached out as if to touch him, but then dropped his hand, “I’m sorry, Buck. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to help you.”

Bucky looked up then, a hard look on his face. But when he spoke, his words were calm, “My name is James.”

All three of us stared at Bucky in shock. The person who was the most shocked was probably Steve. His mouth fell open as he stared at his old best friend, “I don’t understand.”

“My name is James. I don’t see what is so difficult about that?” Bucky walked over to me, placing his metal hand on my back, “Only my friends get to call me Bucky.”

The look on Steve’s face turned sad, but he just nodded. “Alright… James.” Glancing at me, he said, “If you need anything at all, just call. One of us can be there within minutes.”

“I won’t need to.” My phone dinged and I pulled it out of my pocket, seeing a message from Carol. She had upgraded my phone so she could be in contact with me when she was off-world.

**_CAROL: Brianna, meet me at the spot in one hour. I got what you asked for._ **

I put my phone back into my pocket and looked at Bucky, “Ready for a walk down memory lane?”

Tony stood and came over to us. Pulling out his wallet, he took all the cash he had in there and stuffed it into my pocket, “There, now you have some spending money.” He turned to Bucky, “James, take care of her. Bri is special to me.”

Bucky gave Tony a genuine smile, “You can call me Bucky if you want to.” I watched Steve’s face fall further as he said those words. “And of course I’ll take care of her. She’s the first one in years to show me any kindness.”

“Bucky, you are a man after my own heart.” Tony turned back to me, “Have fun, kiddo. Don’t do anything I would do.” He frowned slightly, “Actually, for that matter, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do either.”

I laughed, “What exactly does that leave?”

He gave me a quick hug, “Just don’t go jumping off bridges, okay? I’ve had enough stress to last me a lifetime.”

“No promises, Tony.” I looked at Steve who’s forlorn expression tore at my heart. Walking over to him, I leaned the cane against the couch so I could hug him tightly. I whispered, “You’ll get him back, Steve. Just try not to be so… dad-like. Be the good guy that I know you are. Treat him like you did before the war. That will help more than anything.”

As I pulled back and grabbed my cane, Steve gave me a sad smile, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” 

At my words, Bucky started laughing. Steve stared at him, wide-eyed. After several seconds, Bucky leaned over, his hands on his knees as he tried to take a breath. When he stood up, he looked at Steve, “You used to be so…” His voice broke, “What happened, Steve?”

“The war… HYDRA… Life...” he sighed. “James, go with Brianna. She knows more about you and me than anyone. If anybody can help you get your memory back, it’s her.”

Bucky nodded and looked at me, “I’m ready to go when you are.”


	36. Chapter 36

2014 

Central Park was a bit chilly. Being March, I was starting to wish I had just worn jeans even if it meant I couldn’t wear the brace. We walked along the path, heading to a secret garden in the center that was surrounded by a huge fence. Only those who were wealthy enough could go inside, having to pay for the privilege. Tony never went, so he had long ago given me the key so I could go as often as I wanted to.

We went inside and I smiled at Bucky, “What do you think?”

“I didn’t know a place like this existed,” he sounded awed. “Back when I was a kid, I would swear this wasn’t here.”

I didn’t want to point out that he had remembered something, so I just smiled, “I think it’s a fairly new thing. A bunch of rich people in town wanted a place they could escape the riff-raff. Their word, not mine.” I hooked my bad arm through his and we moved deeper inside, “I’ve been coming here for a few years now, whenever I feel the desire to escape. There’s something I wanted to show you. I had it put here so I could visit whenever I wanted.”

As we neared the spot, I saw a familiar head of blonde hair standing there. We walked up and I looked at the metal shield that stuck out of the ground. Half of it was the Captain America shield, the other half had a pattern similar to Bucky’s arm, red star included. It was three times the size of Steve’s actual shield, with a placard at the bottom. The placard said, ‘For my heroes, JBB & SGR. You will always hold a place in my heart.’

He stared at the memorial for several minutes. Carol had turned and was looking at us, but she didn’t say a word. After several minutes, he looked at me, “When did you do this?”

I shrugged, “After I got here in 2010, Tony hired me. He paid me more than I ever needed, so after saving my money because I had nothing to spend it on, I put this here. I don’t remember exactly when, but it was after Steve came out of the ice and before the battle of New York.”

“Battle of New York?”

“You must have been in cryo at the time.” I leaned against him, “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything you missed later.”

Carol smiled, “There’s another one around her that she had placed too. Although, that one is for all of the Avengers.”

I pulled away from Bucky and turned to Carol, “Hey, thanks for coming.”

“You asked for help.” She shrugged, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to go off-world. Earth doesn’t have the technology yet. This was probably the easiest assignment I’ve ever received. I didn't even have to fight anyone.”

“Did you leave the…”

“The mixtape?” She gave me a curious look, “Yeah. Although I’m not sure why you wanted me to leave a cassette tape on Morag. No one outside of Earth uses those, and no one here uses them either.”

“You’re telling me. I had a hell of a time finding one to send with you.” I chuckled softly. Pulling Bucky forward, I said, “Carol, this is Bucky Barnes. Bucky, this is Carol Danvers.”

They shook hands and Carol gave him a huge smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Bucky. Brianna told me a lot about you.” At Bucky’s surprised expression, she laughed, “All good, I promise.” She pulled a small metal box out of her pocket and handed it to me, “How many does that make now?”

“Four,” I opened the box just to look at it. Closing it, I placed the box in my pocket, “The power stone is the last one we can get without sacrificing anything. With the time stone also being on Earth, that gives us four out of the five. If we can keep Gamora away from Thanos…”

“Gamora?” she gave me a confused look.

“Gamora was kind of adopted by Thanos. He sacrifices her on Vomir to get the soul stone.” I turned serious, my voice getting harder, “I will NOT allow anyone to sacrifice themselves just to keep that stone away from Thanos.”

Bucky placed a hand on my back and Carol nodded, “For what it’s worth, I agree with you.” She glanced at her watch, “I should get going. Earth has the Avengers, but the other worlds don’t have anything like them.” 

She pulled me into a quick hug, and I whispered in her ear, “Before you leave, would you mind talking to Bucky? He was brainwashed a lot like you were, and I’m hoping that if you talk to him, maybe it would help.”

Carol pulled back and looked into my eyes, “Sure, I can do that.” She turned to Bucky, “Come on, kid, let’s go over to that bench over there. Have a discussion.”

Giving me a questioning look, Bucky said, “What about?”

“Just talk with her,” I said softly. Moving closer, I laid a hand on his chest, “It will just take a few minutes. I trust her.”

He followed her over to the bench and they sat down. I stared at the shield while they talked. This was something just for Bucky, something that I didn’t want to interfere with. I had no right to listen to what they were saying. If he wanted to tell me, he could do that later.

Their conversation lasted for about fifteen minutes, then a hand touched my back. I turned and saw Carol. She nodded, “I talked to him, told him everything that I went through. You should go and be with him, he’s going to need support.” Her eyes narrowed, “He told me a little bit of what happened to him. If it’s even half as bad as he said, he’s had it much worse than I have.”

“Actually, whatever he told you, it’s worse.” I sighed, “Bucky would never want anyone to feel sorry for him. Nor would he want anyone to really know what happened to him.”

“Shit,” she looked at her watch again. “I’m sorry, Brianna, I really do have to go now.” She hugged me again, “Take care of him. When you need me, you know how to get in touch.”

As she left, I hobbled over to the bench and sat down next to him. I lifted his arm and slid under it so I could wrap my arms around him and rest my head on his chest. His breath came out evenly, but his heart was racing. I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head, “Why are you so good to me?”

“Because you deserve it.” I paused, “And because I care about you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I know everything I need to.” I smiled even though he couldn’t see it, “It’s funny. When Wong told me I would meet someone with whom everything would feel… right, I didn’t actually believe him. Not until I met you.”

“What do you mean?” his voice held only curiosity.

I pulled back, my face heating up, “It’s just something he told me when I first got here. That I had someone else’s chi intertwined with mine.” I left out the part where Wong had told me there were two originally, “He said that when I met them, it would feel like coming home. Bucky, it feels like more than that when I’m with you. I’ve never felt anything this strong before.”

“Is that why you’re being so nice to me?” his face fell.

“Absolutely not,” I frowned at him. “I cared about you for longer than I’ve known about this chi thing. You deserve more than false platitudes. I swear to you, I would never force you into anything you don’t want. Just because I care about you, doesn’t automatically mean that…”

“Why did you care about me before? I’m nobody.” His brow furrowed, “I’m just a kid from Brooklyn who joined the Army and got captured by HYDRA.”

“You’re more than that to me.” I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning against the back of the bench, “Let’s be friends, Bucky. I may not need you to fall madly in love with me, but I do need you to be happy. That’s it, I promise. That’s literally all I want from you. For you to remember how important Steve was to you. For you to find a way to be happy again.”

He reached and ran a finger down my face, but I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to see the look on his face. He sighed, “For some reason, I trust you.” My eyes opened and I saw the soft smile on his face, “Now, was this where you wanted to take me to help my memory?”

“No, but it will take us a few hours to get there by train if you still want to go.” I thought of something, “Actually, you know what, I’ll get Happy to come and pick us up. Then you don’t have to deal with people.”

 

The Smithsonian seemed quieter than usual. I carried my cane in my hurt hand, not using it because I could tell that Bucky was getting nervous. Even though there weren’t too many people around, there were still enough that he flinched anytime someone got close. Luckily, my good hand happened to be my left one, so I could hold his normal hand without anyone thinking he was strange.

When I took it, he looked down at me and gave me a grateful smile, “So, what are we here to see?”

I gestured up with my head, “The Captain America exhibit. I took Steve here, back when…” Sighing, I just kept walking slowly forward, trying to not step too hard on my bad ankle, “It wasn’t that long ago. But I thought he would like to see it. For you,” I stopped and turned to him. I let go of his hand so I could cup his cheek, “Bucky, I know you’re hurting, and I don’t know how to help, not really. I wish I could take away all your pain. If I could put it into myself instead of you, I would. Honestly, I think that coming here will help you. There are displays that talk about the war. Not the gruesome and horrible parts, but about the camaraderie and the heroism that you guys displayed.”

Grabbing his hand again, I pulled him toward the entrance. He stopped, “I don’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t…”

“Bucky, we don’t have to do this if you truly don’t want to. But I think if you see these things, it might help jog your memory.”

He nodded, “Okay, let’s go.”

Just like with Steve, as we walked in a voice said, “A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice.” I made Bucky stop in front of the section with Steve’s original height and weight stats. Hoping that seeing him lifesize like he used to be would help him remember, “Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American Warfare. One that would transform him into the world’s first super-soldier.”

“God, he was so small back then,” Bucky said, his voice hushed. “How did he get so big?”

“Super-soldier serum, much like you. The only difference was the government that did it to him,” I leaned against Bucky’s arm. “You were always there for him, you know. When you guys were growing up, and Steve was just an asthmatic boy from Brooklyn, you protected him. He would stand up to bullies because his mother taught him that you always get back up. Saying…”

“I can do this all day.”

I looked up at Bucky, surprised, “Yeah. And then you would come along and save his ass.”

Bucky chuckled, “I wish I could remember him like this. I have a feeling I liked this Steve more than the one he is now.”

“Nobody stops changing. You’ve changed.” As Bucky’s face fell, I cursed myself internally, “That’s not what I meant. The shit you’ve had to deal with, it changes a person. That’s all. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you became a bad person.” I looked away, not wanting to see the pain on his face, “Steve, he dealt with the pain of losing his best friend on a train, then crashing an airplane into the Arctic to save millions. Then he woke up, years later, to a world that had moved on without him. Both of you guys had to deal with things that would change who you are, how you react to things.”

I pulled him away from that exhibit, “Come on, you need to see this next exhibit.”

We walked past the motorcycle. As we neared the items the Howling Commandos had worn, the voice said, “...his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division.”

But the display I wanted to show him, that came after. So I didn’t let him stare at the clothes of others, just pulled him past. We neared the Bucky Barnes display and the voice said, “Best friends since childhood. Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in the service of his country.”

As Bucky stared at his picture, I read him bits of the wall, hoping that my voice would keep him calm, “Born in 1917, Barnes grew up the oldest child of four. An excellent athlete who also excelled in the classroom, Barnes enlisted in the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After winter training at Camp McCoy, Barnes and the rest of the 107th shipped out to the Italian front.” His hand gripped mine tighter, but I just continued, “Captured by HYDRA troops later that fall, Barnes endured long periods of isolation, deprivation, and torture.”

Bucky let out a small sound and I stopped. Turning to look at him, I saw a tear fall down his cheek. I reached up and wiped it off, “I’m sorry. I can stop.”

“No,” he shook his head. “Continue, please. It’s helping.”

I slid my hand through his again and turned back to the display, “But his will was strong. In an ironic twist of fate, his prison camp was liberated by none other than his childhood friend, Steve Rogers, now Captain America.” I tightened my grip on his hand this time, trying to offer as much support for him as I could, “Reunited, Barnes and Rogers led Captain America’s newly formed unit, the Howling Commandos. Barnes’ marksmanship was invaluable as Rogers and his team destroyed HYDRA bases and disrupted Nazi troop movements throughout the European Theater.”

“Do they really think of me that way?”

“What way?”

His voice broke, “As a hero?”

My cane fell to the ground as I turned and wrapped both of my arms around his waist. I didn’t reply, because I knew that any words I said would be simply that, words. We stood like that for several minutes, me holding onto him, and his hands running up and down my back almost as if he couldn’t believe someone would offer him comfort.

Finally, I pulled back, “It doesn’t matter how anyone else views you, Bucky. I know the truth.” I grasped his head in both my hands, “You ARE a hero. Without you, HYDRA wouldn’t have been stopped back in 1945. You made it possible. Not anyone else, you.”

“But the things they made me do…”

“I don’t care about those things.” Since I couldn’t stand on my toes, I pulled his face down to me, “You are a hero to me, James Buchanan Barnes. And quite honestly, while I would have loved to have met you before the war, I’m glad that I’ve met you now. The person you are, it’s because of everything you’ve experienced. You are a good person, I believe that deep in my soul.”

The darkness in Bucky’s eyes lightened, and he gave me a soft smile, “How did Steve ever let you go?”

I looked at him, shocked, “How did you…”

“The way he looks at you.” Bucky rested his forehead against mine, “The fact that he calls you sweetheart. I can tell you guys had something.”

“Yeah, well, we weren’t right for one another.” I pulled back, not wanting to push him past his comfort zone. “I wanted him to have someone strong. Someone that he didn’t have to constantly worry about. Besides, we weren’t in love. I mean, we love each other but we’re just best friends, that’s all.” I bent over and picked up the cane, giving myself something else to do.

As I stood, he looked at me, expression unreadable, “Can we go back to New York?”

“Sure,” I started walking away, back to the entrance. I didn’t know how to do this with him. To be his friend, to make things better for him. I felt selfish for wanting him to hold me in his arms. For wanting him to kiss me and make me feel things that I didn’t think I would ever get to have, not since coming to this reality.

When we got outside, his metal hand grabbed my arm, stopping me. I turned to look at him, shocked that he would allow it to be seen in public. Bucky pulled me toward him, stopping only when I winced because I landed on my ankle too hard.

He frowned, “You deserve better than me, Brianna.”

“Why?” I could hear the anxiety in my voice, “Why do I deserve better than you? You're a bright light in the darkness of this world. If anyone deserves better, it's you. Whether you think so or not, deep down, you are a good person." Looking down at the ground, I tried not to cry, "You deserve better than me, Bucky. I’m not perfect. Someone died because of me. Just because they figured out how to bring him back, doesn’t mean that his death isn’t on my conscience. I’m not even sure I deserve to be happy.” I stopped and sighed, “Everything you did, Bucky, you did because you were forced. Because they brainwashed you, making you into something they could use. Everything I've done, it's because I was arrogant enough to think that I could change the future.”

"Change the future?"

"God," I turned away from him, looking out at the people walking down the street. "You won't believe me."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's crazy. But whether you believe me or not, we can't talk about this out in the open." When he touched my back, I sighed, leaning against him, "I'll tell you, but not here."

He moved around in front of me, "You deserve to be happy too, Brianna. You don't deserve to be miserable just because you think you've messed up. I've done things that are worse than anything you could ever dream about, and that's only the things I remember that HYDRA didn't wipe from me."

“We're both a mess, aren't we?” I looked down at the ground, “Fuck, I don’t know what I'm doing here, Bucky. I truly don't. Being around you, it's confusing the hell out of me. I feel like I know you. I feel like when I'm with you, that I'm where I'm meant to be.” I sighed, “Let’s be friends. I made a mistake before, jumping into a relationship with someone thinking it was what I needed. As much as I like you… You need to heal, to find your way in this world. That doesn’t include…”

Bucky took a couple of steps forward until he was right in front of me. He lifted my face up and looked down at me, “Friends. I can do that. But when my memory comes back, we’re going to talk about this, about us.”


	37. Chapter 37

2014

Back at the Tower, we had avoided talking to anyone, just going straight up to my apartment. The first thing I did was put the power stone in the walk-in safe. Bucky watched what I did, but didn’t say a word about it. I stared down at the four stones for several seconds, before closing the case and the safe.

The two of us sat down on my couch. I told him everything, including what had happened since I got here. I told him about Steve and being with him, about the future that was coming, and everything I knew about him. However, I didn’t tell him absolutely everything. Not about the coming future, anyway. It was the same with everyone else, I didn’t want them to alter the future too much based on information I told them. If too much got changed, then stopping Thanos might not be possible. Not that the MCU had ever put too much time and effort into Bucky's story, so I honestly didn't know as much about his future.

After an hour of me talking, Bucky leaned back against the couch, “Wow.”

“Is that a ‘wow’ like ‘she’s fucking crazy,’ or a ‘wow’ like ‘I can’t believe shit like that is real’?”

“It’s more like, wow that’s a lot to take in,” he turned to me. “You’re saying that I was on a flying ship beating the shit out of Steve, but I pulled him out of a lake and then ran? Then he finds me two years later? But none of that happened.”

“That’s because I changed things.” I kept staring straight forward, not wanting to look at him, “I was there. I shouldn’t have been, but I made them take me with them. The fight between you and Steve, it wasn’t supposed to end with me jumping on you and injecting you with a tranquilizer.”

“Or kissing me I’m guessing,” he sounded amused. When I turned to him, he was smiling, “You told me you were trying to change the future. It seems to me that you just did.”

“I guess you’re right,” I smiled back. There was a knock at the door, “I’ll be right back.”

Steve stood outside the door, several items in his hands. He handed them to me, “Tony asked me to bring this up. It’s just a journal and some pictures. Hopefully, it will help Buc… James, remember things.”

“Steve,” I said softly. “I know it hurts, but you’ll get him back. You guys are like brothers, he’s just…”

“I know, sweetheart.” He sighed, his eyes speaking volumes to the pain he felt, “I just… You brought him back. I couldn’t do that. It was all you.”

I pulled him into a hug, “I’ll talk to him. Maybe I can get him to talk with you. Be your best friend again.”

“He’ll always be my best friend, even if he doesn’t feel the same,” he pulled away.

“Steve…”

“No, it’s alright. I’ll go.”

I went back inside and sat back down on the couch. Handing it to Bucky, I said, “Steve brought this up for you.”

Bucky turned the journal over in his hands, then put it to the side. He opened the envelope and took out a stack of pictures. As he flipped through them, I watched his face. There didn’t seem to be any hint of recognition in his eyes, but still, he flipped through all of the pictures. He stopped on the last one, staring at it for a long time.

I leaned forward, kneeling on the couch so I could press a soft kiss on his hair, “I’m going to bed. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Try to get some sleep.”

The next morning, I woke in bed alone again. I couldn’t tell if Bucky had ever been to bed or not. I climbed out and went to the living room and saw him leaned back on the couch, his eyes closed as he breathed evenly. I moved in front of him and saw the journal open and face down on the cushion next to him. A pen sat next to it, as well as the pictures placed haphazardly.

As I bent to grab the book, he startled awake and grabbed my wrist tightly. Looking confused, he growled, “Who the hell are you?”

“Bucky, you’re hurting me.” He had grabbed my hurt wrist, and since it wasn’t in the brace, his tight grip was just making things worse. He didn’t let go but shook his head. I sighed, “Buck, please.” I reached up with my other hand to touch his face, and he grabbed that wrist too. My face twisted into a grimace, “You’re okay, you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

Slowly, recognition flared in his eyes and he let go of my wrists. As I rubbed them, he frowned, “I hurt you again, didn’t I?” Both his hands came to his face and he rubbed the weariness out of his eyes, “Fuck. This is why I stayed out here. I was terrified I would hurt you again. And I did.”

“I’m fine, Bucky.” I looked at my wrists. The hurt one didn’t look any worse, and my other one just had light red marks on it. Sitting on the side of the couch that didn’t have the journal, I placed my hand on his thigh, “It didn’t take as long this time to remember.” I nodded at the journal, “How did looking at the pictures go? Did you remember anything?”

“Bits and pieces.” He picked up the book and flipped through the pages. Several of the pages were covered in a tight, unintelligible scrawl. One of the pages had Steve in large letters, surrounded by other writing. I could make out the question, ‘Who is Steve Rogers?’ as well as ‘Why can’t I remember him?’

“Come on, you need to get out of this room.” He looked up at me confused. I clarified, “You should talk to Steve. He can help you remember more than anything I could ever tell you. He knows all the stories from when you guys were kids.”

“I remember him, a little.” He closed the journal, shoving the photos into a stack and putting them inside of hit. “But I don’t know if I can be around him. The way he was talking to you… I might hurt him.”

“Steve is overprotective, which is part of the reason we didn’t work out. I know that he seems harsh, but he’s just trying to protect me.”

“He still shouldn’t have talked to you that way.”

“I agree,” I sighed. “But you need to give him a chance. He was your best friend, Bucky.”

Bucky let out a breath and stood up, still holding onto the journal. “Do you really want me to do this?”

“It’s not my decision, it’s yours.” I stood and went into the kitchen, pulling out a soda. As I took a sip, I watched Bucky’s hands clench around the journal, “If you want my opinion, I think you should talk to him. But I’m not going to force you.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to him.”

“Give me five minutes, I’ll take you to him.” I went into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of pants, then put back on my ankle and wrist brace. When I came out, Bucky no longer had the journal but was holding the jacket and hat. He looked nervous, “I’m not going to snoop at what you wrote, I swear.”

He looked up at me, surprised, “Why would you say that?”

“You just look nervous. I thought since you don’t have the journal on you, that you were worried I would read it.”

“Brianna, I don’t know why, but I trust you.” He looked down at the jacket, “It’s just talking to Steve again after so long, I don’t know what to say.”

I went over to him and reached up, cupping his cheek in my palm, “You’ll be fine. I swear it. If he hurts you, I’ll…”

Bucky chuckled, “I’m not worried about that. But you’re sweet to be worried about my safety.”

“Alright, come on.” We went down the hall to Steve’s apartment. It was still early enough that he should be there.

My hand went to the handle of the door out of habit. Steve and I have always come and gone in each other’s apartments, even after we broke up. But I stopped myself, knocking instead. The door opened and Natasha stood there, wearing one of Steve’s shirts.

She smiled at me, “Hey.”

“Nat, I’m glad you guys have…” I gestured at her, “You look happy.”

“Yeah, well, I’m still getting used to it. I haven’t been in a relationship since… Well, I can’t remember the last time.”

Steve yelled from inside the apartment, “Babe, you coming back to bed?”

“Lover,” she yelled back. “Come out here, and put on some clothes.”

A minute later, he came out wearing only a pair of jeans. When he saw us standing at the door, he stopped and frowned, “Brianna, James… what are you guys doing here?”

“Bucky’s here to talk,” I said.

He came to the door and looked at his old friend, “What do you want to talk about, James?”

Bucky said softly, “It’s Bucky. You can call me Bucky, Steve. We were best friends, after all.” He handed Steve the jacket and hat, “Brianna had an idea that if you told me stories from when we were kids, it might jog some more of my memories. But if you don’t want to…”

“I didn’t say that James… Bucky.” Steve walked into the apartment, “Come on in, we’ll have a beer and I’ll tell you about your family.”

Natasha walked in as well, heading to the bedroom. I turned to Bucky, “Go ahead. Go talk to him.”

Bucky pulled me into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, “You want to come with?”

“No, this is for you. If I’m not in the apartment, just have Steve or Nat find me.” I pulled back slightly, “I just want you to be happy, Buck, that’s it.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and let go, “Thanks for this, Brianna.” Then he went into the apartment and I pulled the door shut.

 

A few months later, I sat on a couch on the main floor. Bucky had taken to running with Steve in the mornings. After their talk, they had become closer. Not quite back to the level of best friends, but they were working on it. 

Bucky stayed with me, sleeping on the couch more nights than in my bed. Mainly because he still woke from nightmares about his time with HYDRA. My fractures had healed, but when he woke in my bed, sometimes he wouldn’t remember who or where he was and I ended up with bruises when he would grab me. Steve didn’t like the fact that he stayed with me and kept hurting me, but I just kept telling both of them that it wasn’t his fault. I knew what abuse was, and what Bucky did was not abuse. Underneath his touch muscular appearance, he was hurting more than any of could really know.

But, those times became fewer and further between. When he awoke startled now, he would just sit there until his head cleared. The original journal had been completely filled with memories. He was already on his third one, which was almost full as well. When he went through periods where he couldn’t remember, he would read them to help his memory come back faster.

The elevator dinged, and I knew the boys must be back. Footsteps headed my way, but I kept my gaze on the large windows. Hands landed on my shoulders, and since neither was metal, I knew it wasn’t Bucky. I looked up and saw Steve standing there, sweat dripping down his face.

“Getting old, Steve?” I asked jokingly. “You don’t normally sweat so much when you run.”

A body fell on the couch next to me and flopped onto my lap. I looked down to see Bucky’s face on my thighs staring up at me. He had a huge grin on his face and just as much sweat as Steve, “That would be my fault. I challenged him to a race.”

Steve’s hands massaged my shoulders, “It’s been a long time since I had someone to run against who was almost as fast as me.”

“Hey,” Bucky sounded almost offended. If it weren’t for the smile on his face, I would have said that he actually was. “Brianna, I’ll have you know that I kept up with Steve for the entire run. All fifty miles of it.”

“I don’t remember that,” Steve’s hands left my shoulders and he came around the couch, plopping down next to me. He draped an arm over my shoulders, getting his sweat all over me, “I seem to recall that for at least ten miles of that I was in front of you.”

“It was one foot, maybe two,” Bucky smiled up at me, his eyes soft. “Don’t go telling Brianna lies, Steve. She can see right through them.”

I ran my hand through his damp hair, combing the strands, “I think you boys need showers. You’re both a little bit ripe.”

Steve pulled me against him, pressing me hard against his sweaty torso, “What, you don’t like this?”

Both boys started laughing as I squirmed to escape. I glared down at Bucky and he just grinned at me, “Come on, you know you love us.”

“Sometimes I wonder why?” I sighed, “Seriously, you two need showers.” I shoved Bucky off me and he fell to the floor. Then I pushed Steve away, “And now I need one too.”

Steve stood, still laughing, “I get when I’m not wanted.” He looked down at both of us as Bucky pushed himself off the floor, “Same time tomorrow, Buck?”

Bucky stood, “Sounds like a plan.” After Steve left, Bucky pulled me up off the couch and into his arms, “Remember what we talked about, Brianna?”

“When?” I didn’t care that he was covered in sweat. Being in his arms felt right, “We’ve talked about a lot of things over the past few months. You’ll have to be more specific than that.”

He tilted my head up with his finger, staring down at me, “Maybe this will jog your memory.” He lowered his face until his lips met mine, kissing me softly. When he pulled back, he asked, “Does that help?”

“I don’t know.” I brought my hands up and threaded my fingers into his hair, “Maybe we should try again. I hear that repetition can help when you're trying to recover lost memories.”

He chuckled and kissed me again, this time harder. When he pulled away this time, we were both breathless, “Remember now?”

I nodded and ran my finger over his lips, “Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to wake up in the morning and regret it.” 

Picking me up, he held onto my thighs and carried me to the elevator as I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled at me as we rode up to our floor, “I don’t remember everything, but over the last few months, I've remembered enough.” He lowered his face to my neck, lightly biting the skin, “I told you that we would talk about us when I got my memory back.”

He carried me out of the elevator and toward the apartment. He didn’t put me down, just opened the door and carried me to the bedroom. Once inside, he lowered me to the ground, then kissed me again. I slid my hands under his shirt, running my fingers over his skin. I lifted the shirt, pulling back so I could take it off him.

Leaning forward, I placed kisses on each of the scars as I slid my fingers under the waistband of his gym shorts and started to push them down. Bucky grabbed my hands and stopped me, pushing me slightly back, “Brianna, we should talk first.”

I reached down and pulled my shirt over my head, then pushed down my pajama pants. Standing there naked, I ran my hands slowly up my body until I cupped my breasts. My breath came out ragged as he stared at me, “You sure you want to talk?”

“Brianna,” his voice came out husky and deep. Walking over to me, he grabbed me and yanked me hard against his body, his hands pulling my hips closer to his. I could feel his hard cock pressing through the thin fabric of his shorts. “I want this, I do. But we should really talk first.”

I pulled back and sat on the bed, patting the seat next to me, “Let’s talk then.”

He just stood there, eyes on my body, “Can you put on some clothes?”

“Why? Does this make you uncomfortable?” I grinned and reached out for him, grabbing his shorts and pulling him closer.

“Brianna,” he groaned. His hands went to my head and he turned my face up to him. When I moved a hand to the front of his shorts and stroked his cock through the fabric, he moaned, “Fine, we can talk after.”

He put his hands under my arms and lifted me up so he could move me further up the bed. I fell back against the pillow and spread my legs, moving my hand between my legs to play with my clit. I moaned as he watched, “You going to join, or just sit there and watch?”

He crawled forward, sliding between my thighs. The fabric of his pants rubbed against me as he ground his cock against the wetness of my pussy. He kissed me hard, running his hands over my torso. I pushed down his shorts, then grabbed him in my hand.

Bucky pulled back and pushed his shorts the rest of the way down, tossing them on the floor. He sat there for a minute, staring down at me, “Fuck, you are beautiful.”

“Come here, Bucky,” I held out my arms to him.

He moved forward and laid himself on top of me gently, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “How did I get so lucky?” His hips pressed forward and the tip of his cock entered me, “You are way too good for me.”

Wrapping my legs around him, I pulled him deeper into me, “Fuck.” I moaned as he pulled back out and then thrust back in, “You’re perfect for me, Bucky. Just the way you are.”

Our time together was slow and languid, him kissing me as he thrust in and out of me. After we both finished, I cuddled against him, my head on his chest. I had my arm wrapped around his waist, holding him close, “That was…”

“Yeah,” he ran his hand through my hair. “You ready to talk?”

I chuckled, “Right now?”

“Only if you want,” he sounded sad. “I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to.”

I pushed myself up enough that I could look at his face, “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.” I reached up and pressed my hand against his cheek, “You mean more to me than you could know, Bucky. If you left right now, it would break my heart. I’m willing to talk about whatever you want, whenever you want to.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” I leaned down and kissed him softly. “You are the best thing in my life. I lo... “ I stopped and laid my head on his chest so he wouldn’t see the terror in my eyes at what I almost confessed, “I love spending time with you. Ask me whatever, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“What do you want from me? From us?” he asked softly.

“I want whatever you are willing to give.” I laid my hand directly over his heart, “I’m not going to push you into anything, Bucky. You still need time to heal. I want you to think about this, think about us, and figure out what you want. Because I would hold onto you and never let you go given half a chance.” 

I pushed up a little again, wanting to look into his eyes, “I know it’s not good to talk about exes with a guy you just… you know. But, I was with Steve for over a year. In all that time, I never felt like this for him. I love him dearly, but it was just sex between us. With you, we could never have sex again and I wouldn’t complain. I just enjoy spending time with you, just like this. I honestly didn’t know it was possible to feel this much.”

A slow smile crossed his face and he reached up, tucking my hair behind my ear, “I don’t need to think about it. I already know what I want. I want…”

I placed a finger on his lips, stopping him from completing that sentence, “Don’t, not yet. Please, just think about it for a while. I don’t want this to be what you settle on because…”

He pulled my hand away from his face and placed a kiss on the palm, “I’m not settling. And just because I was in HYDRA, doesn’t mean I never…” He sighed, “I’ll do as you ask and think on this. But just know, I’m not going to change my mind. I waited five months for this, I’ll wait as long as you need me to.”

I placed a kiss on his lips, “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy, Brianna. I can’t remember the last time I was this happy.” When I opened my mouth to argue, he placed a finger on my lips, “And no, I’m not just happy because of you. I’ve started getting my memories back. Steve is back in my life, and we’re working our way back to being friends. Even the others have welcomed me. It reminds me of happier times, before the war.”

I kissed him again and then climbed out of the bed, “We should probably shower and get ready for the day.”

He followed me, wrapping his arms around me from behind, “What some company?”

I twisted in his arms and smiled, “Only if you wash my back.”

Walking me backward into the bathroom, he kissed me, “Doll, I plan on doing more than washing your back.”


	38. Chapter 38

2014

A week before Christmas, Fury called the Avengers about a possible alien incursion. Apparently, NASA had spotted an unidentified object coming straight for Earth, moving faster than anything they had seen before.

It took another two days for the object to arrive close enough to Earth for then to identify it as an alien spacecraft. They tried contacting it, but there was no response. The only response they received was the song  _ Ain’t No Mountain High Enough _ playing on repeat.

When that information was passed to me, I laughed and told them that the ship held friendlies. Fury pressed me for more details, but like normal, I refused to answer him. Even though we were cool after he almost died and finally decided that he believed me, I still like to keep information from him. When he pressed me, I just reminded him that he had me to thank for convincing Steve to change his mind and allow SHIELD to stay in existence. It had taken me weeks to convince him that SHIELD was not all bad. That just because there were a few bad apples, didn’t mean the entire barrel was rotten.

“Dammit, Mayfield,” Fury said. He kept his voice calm because the last time he had yelled at me I had hung the phone up on him. “You’ve got to give me more to tell the President. I can’t just tell him they’re friendlies. It's a fucking alien spaceship. Last time one of those was here, we had to rebuild half of New York.”

“Just remind him of when I saved his life,” I chuckled. When Bucky’s arms encircled me from behind and he placed a soft kiss to my neck, I had to stifle a moan, “Look, Fury, I swear to you they’re not going to hurt anyone. Just send them a message and say it’s safe to come down. Send them the coordinates I gave you, it’s for a farm a few hours from here that Tony owns. They can land there relatively undetected.”

“Fine,” I heard him sigh. “Tell that boyfriend of yours that I’m still waiting to hear from him about whether he wants to join the Avengers or not.”

“He’s not my…”

“Don’t even argue, Mayfield,” Fury chuckled. “I’ve seen you two together, remember? And besides, I heard that moan you tried to hide. He’s with you right now.”

“Well, fuck,” I said.

Bucky took the phone from me and spoke into it, “Fury, you harassing Bri?... I haven’t decided yet… Why? Is there a timetable I don’t know about?... Look, I get that SHIELD wants to use me… Don’t even try to play me, Fury. I’ve been tortured by the best of them.” Bucky laughed, “You need me, I’ll be there. But I’m not going to sign up to join the Avengers, not yet… I need time to consider all the options. Maybe I just want to be a normal person. Did that idea ever occur to you?... Seriously, you would charge me for that?”

I turned around and took the phone from him, “Don’t you even think about that charging him for anything, Fury. You know as well as I do that…”

He sighed heavily, “Mayfield, I may not have a choice. He’s been connected to over two-dozen assassinations over the last fifty years.”

“He was brainwashed and forced.”

“I know that,” he paused. “This isn’t my doing, Mayfield. I know that you think I have it out for you, but there are still people I have to answer to. I don’t know if I can stop this.”

I fell onto the bed, “What can I do?”

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t.”

“What about the President? Couldn’t he issue a pardon?” I knew I was grasping at straws, but I wouldn’t let Bucky go down for anything that wasn’t truly his fault.

“That might actually work,” Fury sounded lighter. “You would make a good politician. Always knowing the right thing to say. You know, if you could convince him to join the Initiative, it would go a long way to making the President sign that pardon.”

“No, Fury. If he joins the Avengers, it will be because that is what he wants to do. I'm not going to force him to do anything.” I sighed and looked at Bucky, who was frowning, “I won’t let him be taken in, Fury. No matter what.”

“Is that a threat, Mayfield?” he asked softly.

“No, sir. Not even a little bit. I’ll figure out a way to…” I stopped, “No, I’m not going to tell you. It wouldn’t be fair to put you in a position where you have to lie to your higher-ups.”

“Alright. I’m going to call the President, I’ll tell him about the ship. Then I’ll have NASA send a message with the coordinates.” He sighed, “And before you yell at me, I’ll ask about a pardon for Bucky. But he did kill a sitting president.”

“Yeah, I know. Just ask, that’s all you can do. And Fury, thanks.”

I hung up the phone and stood, wrapping my arms around Bucky, “I won’t let them take you.”

He rubbed a hand on my back, “It’s alright, doll. I’m not going to let them.”

“How will you outrun the full force of the FBI?”

“I won’t.” He looked down at me, “I can always just leave the country.”

“And me?” I couldn’t keep the sadness out of my voice.

“Love, I’ll never leave you of my own free will. You know that.” He kissed my forehead, “If I have to run, you can come with me.”

I sighed, “We still have to stop Thanos.”

“Fine, if I have to run, you defeat Thanos, then come find me. We’ll make a plan. But don’t worry, I’m never leaving you, not really.” He kissed my forehead again, “Any separation between us will just be temporary.”

“I just don’t want to lose you. You mean too fucking much to me.” I pulled away and headed to the door, “Come on, we’ve got to head to the farm. Meet some friends.”

We headed down to the main floor, the others waiting for us. Steve, Natasha, and Tony sat on the couch. Bruce had taken a sabbatical to some monastery, saying he needed to decompress. Clint was with his family, taking a long vacation. When I walked in holding Bucky’s hand, all three of them grinned at me.

I glowered at them, “Time to go to the farm. I managed to convince Fury that they were friendly, but I’m guessing that they’ll land about the same time we get there. Especially if we have to drive.”

“I’ve got a helicopter on the roof waiting for us. Although, I really wish you would tell us who we're meeting.” Tony’s eyes narrowed, “I’ve also got that other thing you asked for. Although, why you asked for an MP3 player full of songs from the eighties, I couldn’t quite figure out.” He stood and handed me the player with a pair of fancy headphones, “I figured you could use these too.”

“Oh, he is going to love this.”

The five of us flew to the farm, making it there before the ship arrived. We were disembarking, when a loud noise had us looking at the sky. The ship descended, landing in the empty field. The farm was surrounded by acres of trees, so no one would notice a strange-looking plane sitting on the grass. 

The ramp lowered and several people walked out. When the others noticed that a few of them were actual aliens, I heard them muttering. I let go of Bucky’s hand and walked forward, stopping a few feet away from the guy wearing a silver helmet, “You know, you can take that off. Being from Earth, you can breathe the atmosphere here, Peter.”

He pressed a button and the mask disappeared into a thing attached to the side of his head, “You must be Brianna Mayfield. I got the message you left on the cassette tape.” He chuckled, “Not nice, pretending to make me a new mixtape. I got all excited thinking I finally had some new tunes.”

I held out my hand and he shook it, “Peter Quill, also known as Star Lord, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

He walked over to his friends, “This is Gamora, Rocket, Drax, and Mantis.”

“Yeah, I know.” I looked at each one of them, “Nice to meet you.”

Rocket looked up at me from the ground, “Hey, don’t forget about Groot.”

I looked down and saw Groot on Rocket’s shoulder. I crouched down in front of him and held out my hand, which Groot scrambled onto. I smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Groot.”

“I am Groot,” he said cheerfully.

“He said…” Rocket started to say.

“I think I got the gist of it.” I stood and put Groot on my shoulder, “Come on, guys. I’d like you to meet my people, then we can discuss why I called you all here.” Walking back over to Bucky, I smiled at my friends, “This is Groot.”

“I am Groot,” he said, sounding confused.

“These are my friends. They’re good people, I promise.”

“I am Groot,” he sounded a little more confident. I felt him sit on my shoulder and he said with a trace of humor in his voice, “I am Groot.”

I glanced at him and whispered, “If you just said that Rocket will want Bucky’s arm, you’re not wrong about that.”

The other’s walked up. The first thing out of Rocket’s mouth was, “How much for the arm?”

Groot started laughing and almost fell off my shoulder. The only reason he didn’t is that he was holding on to my collar, “I am Groot.”

“Yeah, you told me.”

“You understand him?” Peter said, sounding surprised.

I shrugged, “No, but I know how he thinks. Plus, he uses inflection when he speaks, which helps me figure out what he’s trying to say.”

“I am Groot,” he said seriously.

Rocket chuckled, “Yeah, I think she seems cool too.”

“Alright, this is all fine and dandy, kiddo, but are you planning on introducing us?” Tony said, staring at the people behind me.

“Of course,” I motioned to my shoulder. “As I said, this is Groot. He’s pretty fucking awesome and badass, so don’t fuck with him.”

“I am Groot,” he sounded proud of himself.

“This is Rocket,” I pointed down at him. “And don’t call him a raccoon, he doesn’t like that. Plus, he’s not really a raccoon, not matter if he looks like one.” Gesturing to Peter, I waited until he came up to my side, “This is Peter Quill. He was taken back in… shit, I don’t remember. Sometime in the 80s, I think.”

“1988 actually,” Peter said softly. “Although, I’m not sure how you knew that.”

“Kiddo here knows things. Don’t worry about why she just does,” Tony said cheerfully.

I glared at him, “The strong guy is Drax. The girl next to him is Mantis. If you don’t want her to read your mind, don’t let her touch you.”

“Actually, I don’t read minds, just emotions.” She walked forward and said, “I can tell that you and the big scary man are doing the vertical mamba though.”

Peter sighed and ran a hand down his face, “It’s horizontal tango, Mantis.”

“Isn’t that what I said?” her eyes went wider than normal.

Then Gamora walked forward, “This is adorable, but we still don’t know why we were called here.” She glared at us, crossing her arms over her chest, “Why don’t you tell us why we’re here? We made a special trip, all the way to Earth,” at the word Earth, she shuddered. “Specifically to see you, Brianna. All because of a cryptic message you left on the tape for Peter.”

“And this lovely woman is Gamora,” I said. “At least let me introduce you guys to my friends before we talk. We can go inside, have some beers, and we can discuss why I brought you here.”

“Fine,” she said, but she didn’t sound happy about it.

“The big scary guy is Bucky, however, he’s not as scary as you think.” I pointed to Steve, “This is Steve, Natasha, and Tony. These three make up half of the Avengers, the superheroes of Earth.”

“Now, should we go inside and discuss why you’re here?”

“Come on, Groot.” Rocket held out his hands, “Let’s leave the nice lady alone.”

“I am Groot,” he said petulantly, holding on tighter to my shirt. His next words sounded angry, “I am Groot.”

“Don’t talk to me that way, young man,” Rocket said, putting his hands on his hips.

“Jesus, a talking raccoon,” Bucky muttered under his breath.

“Hey, Terminator,” Peter said. “Don’t talk about my friend that way.”

“I am Groot?” his words sounded confused.

Sighing, I turned to Bucky, “It’s alright, just try not to piss them off. Rocket is trigger happy and he would try to steal your arm given half a chance.” I felt something near my belt and I turned to glare at Rocket who had Winter in his paws, “Might want to be careful with that. Winter doesn’t like other people holding him.” I held out my hand and Winter jumped back to me, “Plus, he’s kind of attached to me.”

Putting Winter back in its sheath, I held up my hands, “No one here is the bad guy. Let’s just go inside and talk. And Rocket, I don’t mind Groot sitting on my shoulder. He weighs less than five pounds.”

“I am Groot,” he said happily.

I started walking toward the house, not bothering to see if anyone followed me. Inside the house, I grabbed two six-packs of beer and a root beer for Groot. Before heading to the living room, I grabbed a straw as well, thinking that would make it easier for Groot to drink.

I put the drinks on the table, grabbed myself a beer and then opened it and the root beer. Sticking a straw in it, I held my hand up to Groot who scampered onto it. I put him on the couch next to me, placing the root beer with the straw between his legs.

He sounded happy, “I am Groot.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” I took a swig of my beer and people started filtering inside the farmhouse. Once everyone had taken a seat, Bucky right next to me, I said, “Now that we’ve all met, and you guys have done the asshole posturing bit that I’m sure you did once I left, can we get started.”

Peter looked at Bucky, “Your girlfriend, she’s kind of a badass, isn’t she?”

Bucky shrugged and chuckled, “She’s not someone I’d fuck with if that’s what you’re asking.”

I elbowed him and sighed, “Save it, boys.” Looking over at the others, I said, “Gamora, we need to talk about your father.”

“My father?” she looked surprised. “My father is dead, has been since I was a small child.”

“That’s not the father I’m talking about.”

Peter turned to Gamora, “What does she mean?”

Gamora sighed, “What do you want to know?”

“Shit,” Tony looked over. “Are you saying that Thanos is her father?”

“Adoptive father,” she said angrily.

“Actually, I wouldn’t even call him that. I'd call him an abusive asshole who took her in because he's a narcissistic bastard.” I looked over at Tony, “He killed half her planet in front of her, executing her parents without thinking. All part of his master plan to save the universe.”

“How do you know about that?” she asked softly.

A small hand tugged at my arm and I looked down at Groot. He spoke in a whisper, “I am Groot?”

“It’s okay, sweetie. Your friends… Your family will protect you.”

“I am Groot,” he sounded sad.

I moved the root beer and lifted Groot onto my lap, “Look, Thanos has a grand plan of finding the infinity stones and using them to wipe out half the universe. We already know this, what we don’t know is how to get in touch with him.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Gamora asked. “Thanos is… He’s not a good guy.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said softly. Groot grabbed my arm and wrapped it around himself, hiding behind it. “Do you have a way to get in touch with him or Nebula?”

“How do you…”

I sighed, “Not explaining it. I’ve done that enough to last a lifetime. I would think the fact that I found the power stone before you guys would be sufficient enough.”

Mantis looked at me, “She’s angry, but she feels strong when she speaks.”

“Thanks, Mantis,” Gamora sounded almost soft when she spoke to her. She turned back to me, “I can find them if need be. But I don’t want to do it unless absolutely necessary.”

“Do you know about the stones?” She nodded and I continued, “Not now, but once he’s ready, Thanos is going to go after the soul stone which is on Vomir.” Everyone looked at me, shocked. I forgot I hadn’t told them about that. I said softly, “Gamora, the only way to get the soul stone is to sacrifice what you love most. Thanos sacrifices you.”

She shook her head, “He doesn’t love me, not really.”

I stood, placing Groot on my shoulder. Walking over, I crouched down in front of Gamora, “I know he’s a douchebag, and you have every right to hate him. But, in his own way, he loves you. I need you to be safe until we can stop him for good.”

Groot leaned against my neck and shivered, “I am Groot.”

I lifted a hand up and touched him softly, “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe.” I placed a hand on her thigh, “You have to trust me on this. I know you don’t know me, and you have no reason to believe me, but in a couple of years, all hell is going to break loose. He will kill you and not blink an eye about it.”

“What about Nebula?” she asked, voice shaking. “What happens to her?”

Looking over at Peter, I asked, “Did you find your father already?” He nodded and I turned back to Gamora, “I know she’s trying to get her revenge on him. I don’t know exactly when, but he captures Nebula to use her to convince you to tell him where the soul stone is. She’s your sister, Gamora. I know how much you care for her.”

“Was the point of this to tell me how to get her back?”

“No, the point of this is to tell you that you will die if you go to him.” I stood up and turned slowly, looking at each of the nine others in the eyes before saying, “We will destroy Thanos. One way or another. I’m not going to let him destroy this reality, not if I have anything to say about it.” Turning to look at the Guardians, I asked, “So, are you guys with us?”

Drax looked angry, “He killed my family. I would rip out his entrails and feed them to him if I could.” Then he grinned, “I’m in.”

Peter shrugged, “Whatever Gamora wants.”

“Come on, man,” Rocket stood and moved in front of Peter. “Be a man.” He turned to me, "I'm always down to kick some ass."

Gamora stood, “How will you get in touch with us when it’s time?”

“I have a friend, Carol Danvers.” 

Gamora’s eyes widened, “You know her?”

“Yeah,” never have I been so happy to find out someone actually knew the person I was talking about. “I’ll have her get in touch with you. Now, if you guys want to stay and hang out, there is food in the fridge and more beers.” I walked over to Tony and took the bag from him. I handed it to Peter, “You should have a way to charge this, I hope.”

He opened it and saw the MP3 player and headphones, “What’s this?”

“There is probably twenty hours of music on there. Gives you more than the two mixtapes you started with.” I smiled, “Think of it as a peace offering.”

“Thanks.”

I reached up to grab Groot, but he held on tight to my shirt, saying softly, “I am Groot.”

“Buddy, you can’t stay with her,” Rocket said.

“I am Groot,” his sad voice broke my heart.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. Your friends need you.” He leaned against my neck and held on, crying softly against my skin. I looked at Rocket, “Fuck.”

“I know.” Rocket placed a paw on his face and shook his head, “Sometimes, I miss the big guy. He didn’t play the sad pathetic card.”

I stroked Groot softly, “Groot, you’ll be better off with them. They love you.”

“I am Groot,” he sobbed.

“You’ll see me again, I promise.”

His voice perked up, “I am Groot.” He scrambled down my arm and jumped to the floor, before running over to Rocket. He spoke quickly, “I am Groot. I am Groot.”

“Yeah, buddy, we’ll come back.” Rocket looked at me, “You made quite an impression on the kid.”

“I like him, always have. And don’t ask, it will just make your head hurt.” I turned to my guys, “You all ready to head out?”

“Don’t we want to discuss this some more?” Steve asked.

“Nope, they know the important details and have already said they’ll come when called. That’s all I care about.”

“I think we should discuss this some more with them.”

I sighed, “Fine. I’m going outside. You boys come and find me when you’re done making plans.”

I walked out the door. Once I was outside, I closed my eyes and turned my face to the sun, enjoying the warmth on my face. It was too cold outside to be truly warm, but the sun did feel nice. A hand touched my back and I turned to see Bucky standing there. 

“Hey, Buck. You didn’t want to get in on the planning?”

He shook his head, “I don’t need to be in there. I need to be with you.” He grabbed my hands and looked down at me, smiling, “Have I told you how gorgeous you are when you take control like that? Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been more turned on.”

“You saying you like that?” I took a step closer to him, dragging my fingers down his chest, “You like me being all in control?”

He flushed, “Maybe.”

“We can explore that later,” I stood on my toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “You are too fucking perfect, you know that Mr. Barnes.”

“Well, Miss Mayfield, you aren’t too bad yourself.” He kissed me deeper, “Besides, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something.”

“Oh,” I pulled back just enough that I could look up into his eyes. “Is it serious?”

“Nothing bad, I promise.” He ran a hand down the side of my face, “I just wanted to tell you… Fuck, I didn’t think this would be so hard.”

“You can tell me anything, Bucky, you know that.”

“I know,” his finger went underneath my chin, tilting my face up. “I’m just going to come out and say it. I love you.”

“You do?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.

“I do.” He smiled at me, “More than I can even put into words.”

I reached up and grabbed his head, pulling it down and kissing him hard. When we parted, I had tears in my eyes, “I love you, Bucky Barnes.” I kissed him again, “I love you.”


	39. Chapter 39

2015

A few months into the new year, I decided to seek Tony out and have a talk with him. It was something that I had been avoiding and for good reason. But Bucky and Steve were out doing something for Fury, Natasha had left on a different mission, so it was just me and Tony in the Tower.

Going to his laboratory, I pushed open the door. Tony stood in front of his workbench, welding.  _ Back in Black _ by AC/DC played on the stereo, drowning out everything else. I smiled as I watched him bop to the beat, remembering how this song played in the original  _ Iron Man _ .

After the song finished, I walked over to the stereo and turned it off. Tony turned around, “Kiddo, what’s up?” He looked back down at his work, “Come see what I’m working on.”

I walked over to the table and looked down. All I could see was a jumble of wires and some circuit boards. I looked at him, “I’m still not an engineer, Tony. What’s this?”

A big smile crossed his face and he looked up, “So, I’ve been thinking about your boy toy.”

“My boy toy?” the corner of my mouth quirked up as I tried not to laugh. “I think he might take issue with you calling him that.”

“Eh, whatever,” he shrugged and looked back down at his work. “Anyway, like I was saying, I’ve been thinking about your boy toy and his arm. That thing has got to be close to seventy years old now, and while it’s pretty advanced for its time, I think we can do better.” He moved over to his holographic table and brought up a diagram. The first thing that it showed was a metal skeletal structure, “Plus, I’ve talked with Bucky about it, asking questions about the construction, and he has said that the arm is fairly heavy. And if someone with super-strength says it’s heavy, that’s saying something.”

“Alright,” I watched as more structure was added to the arm until it looked like a normal arm, just disembodied. “How is this different than what he currently has?”

“First,” he twirled the arm, then zoomed in on the structure. “It will be made completely of vibranium which is one third the weight of steel. Currently, I believe his arm is a combination of titanium and steel.” He showed me the joints and then put the layers back on, “I’ve actually been talking with Shuri about this. That kid is even smarter than both me and Banner combined, and she's just a kid.” He laughed, “Anyway, we were thinking that he might like to have it look like a normal arm. More like a normal prosthetic. Let him go out in public without people staring.”

My eyes widened, “Have you talked to him about this?”

“Not yet,” Tony frowned. “We’re still working on the details. To be quite honest, I don’t know if we can make it work. Making a new metal arm like the one he has now, but out of vibranium, that’s easy. Adding on synthetic skin, that adds another layer of complexity. Especially if it were to get damaged and need to be replaced.”

I pressed the button to turn off the holographic display, “This is awesome Tony. I don’t know what Bucky will think, but it’s really sweet of you guys to care so much about him.” I sighed, “And as cool as this is, it’s not why I came down here. I need to talk to you about something important.”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” he wiped his hands on a rag from his pocket and headed to the lounge area he had put in when redoing the Tower. Sinking onto the couch, he patted the cushion next to him for me to sit, “I’m all ears.”

My hands twisted together as I tried to come up with the words to tell him what I had been dreading. I sighed, staring down at my lap, “It’s about your parent's death.”

“They died in a car accident?” he looked confused.

“They were murdered,” I said softly. 

He stood up and started pacing, “What do you mean? How do you know… Nevermind, I should learn not to ask that question.” He stopped and looked down at me, “Why?”

“You know that your dad worked on the serum that turned to Steve into a super-soldier?” He nodded and I sighed, “Well, he had developed a new serum and was en route to the Pentagon with it. HYDRA knew about his work with the serum and…”

“Wait,” Tony loomed over me, hands on his hips. “HYDRA was behind the death of my parents?”

I patted the seat next to me, “Sit, Tony. Please.” I waited until he had sat back down and I grabbed his hand, holding it between mine, “They intended to make more super-soldiers like Bucky. So, they sent…” I stopped, not wanting to tell him the rest. I sat there for a minute, trying to think of how to continue. He remained silent. I finally said, “Before I tell you the rest, I need you to remember that it’s not his fault. He was brainwashed and forced to do the things he did.”

Tony took a deep breath, “It’s okay, Brianna. Just tell me.”

A tear rolled down my cheek, “They brought Bucky out of cryo in 1994 to kill your parents. He shot at the car to cause the accident, then killed them in order to get the serum.”

Tony stood and stormed out of the room. I could tell that he was both hurt and angry, never having really gotten the closure he needed. Especially because his father had been an absentee parent for basically his entire life.

I waited a few minutes, trying to give him some time to process. At least, I waited until I heard the sound of glass smashing. I jumped off the couch and raced back to his lab. Tony had a metal bar in his hand, hitting it repeatedly against his table. It was made of pretty strong glass, so every hit put cracks into it, but didn’t break it.

“Tony,” I yelled, running up to him.

He turned to me, eyes wide. He spat out, “What?”

“This won’t help.”

“What do you want me to do, Bri?” he swung again, hitting the table as hard as he could. The next time he swung, he landed on a crack and the table shattered into large chunks. He tossed the metal bar onto the floor, “I get that it’s not really Bucky’s fault. But he killed my parents. I don’t know how to not want to kill him for that.”

I took a couple of steps forward and reached out. When he took a step back, I stopped and dropped my arms, “I’m sorry. What can I do to make this better?”

“You can’t, Bri.” He turned away from me, “I’m guessing this is why you waited until Bucky and Steve were on a mission to tell me?” Sighing, he kicked at the glass, “Fuck. Just... I need some time. I’m trying my damndest right now to not find out where Bucky is and go kill him. I know it’s not his fault. I know that HYDRA brainwashed him.” He turned back to me and I saw tears rolling down his cheeks, “But Bri, the only reason I’m not going after him is because of you. Kiddo, you’re the daughter I never had, I can’t hurt you like that.”

I didn’t let him push me away this time. Moving forward, I wrapped my arms around him tightly, not even caring that he didn’t hug me back. Tears ran down my cheeks for him as I sobbed against his chest, “I’m so fucking sorry, Tony. I’m so sorry.”

After several minutes, his hands moved around to my back and I felt him sigh. His hands moved in circles on my back, “I didn’t mean to make you cry, kiddo.”

I pulled back slightly and looked at his face, “It’s not your fault, Tony. God, I should have told you earlier.” I stepped out of his arms and wiped my face, rubbing away the tear tracks, “I’m so sorry, Tony. I was just… I was scared to tell you. I didn’t know how you would react.”

“And then I go and do this,” he waved at the broken table. “I'm not surprised you were scared to tell me. Fucking hell. Pepper is going to kill me.”

“Tony,” I laid a hand on his back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, kiddo. I understand why you didn’t tell me earlier, even though I wish you had.” His head fell and he stared at the floor, “If you had told me before bringing Bucky here and before I got to know him, I probably would have killed him on sight. To be completely honest, if you weren’t in love with him, I would hurt him for what he did. Whether it was really his fault or not.”

“Tony,” I said softly.

He turned to me, “Just go, Bri. I’ll be fine. I’ve had a long time to mourn the death of my parents. I just need to get over this burning anger I feel inside.” Tony pulled me into his arms and gave me a quick hug, “Keep him out of here for a few days, okay? I’m not sure I can guarantee he will be safe around me right now.”

“Alright,” I walked away, leaving the lab. Once I got back to the apartment, I tossed together a bag, putting clothes in there for three days for both me and Bucky. Then I dialed Steve’s cell phone because Bucky kept resisting new tech much as Steve had for the longest time.

The phone rang several times then an irritated voice said, “What?”

“Steve?” I asked softly.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he said, his voice quickly turning to concern.

“I…” my voice broke as I choked back a sob. “When do you guys get back?”

He must have put a hand over the speaker, because his voice was muffled as he said, “Dammit, Bucky. Just let me talk to her.”

Then another voice replaced Steve’s, “Doll, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t be mad at me,” I said in barely a whisper.

“I love you. No matter what you did, nothing will change that.”

“I told Tony what really happened to his parents.”

The phone went silent for a minute. Then he sighed, “Oh… oh.”

“When do you guys get back into town?”

“We’re on our way back now. We should be at the Tower in a few hours.”

I choked back another sob and fell onto the bed, laying a hand over my eyes, “Can you put Steve back on the phone?”

“Doll?” he sounded confused.

“I just need to ask him something, that’s all.” I paused, “I love you, Bucky.”

“I love you too.”

Steve came back on, “What can I do to help, Brianna?”

“Tony wants me to keep Bucky out of the Tower for a few days. Do you still have your old apartment?”

“No, I gave it up a few months ago. I just go to Tasha’s place now when I need to decompress.” Steve pulled the phone away, “Calm down, Buck. I’ll tell you everything when I get off the phone.” He came back, “Look, Fury called me a couple of hours ago. He wants you and Bucky to go to DC in a few days. Maybe you guys should just go now. You can stay in a hotel. Fuck, I’ll even pay for it.”

“I have money,” I said softly.

“I know you do, sweetheart. That’s not why I’m offering.” He lowered his voice, “I wanted to do something nice for you guys, for Bucky. I’ll make a reservation in your name. We’ll meet you at the hotel. I’ll text you the details.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

He must have handed the phone back to Bucky, because he said, “Please tell me that you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, Buck, I swear it.” I took a deep breath, “I’m going to have Happy drive me to DC. I’ll see you in a few hours. I really do love you, you know.”

“I know.” He sounded happy, “I love you too.”

A few hours later, I sat on a really nice bed in one of the best hotels in DC. Steve hadn’t booked us the honeymoon suite, but he had booked us one of the nicest rooms they had. As I sat on the bed, I twisted the ring on my finger, trying not to think about what had just happened.

Steve had put both me and Bucky on the room registration, so I knew he would be able to get up here without any issues. That was the only reason I didn’t pace in the lobby, waiting for him to get there.

A couple more hours passed as I sat there and I heard the lock on the door unlock. The door pushed open and I rushed over, wrapping my arms around Bucky as he entered the room. I buried my face in his chest and tried not to cry.

He rubbed my back and walked me into the room so he could shut the door, “Doll, it’s okay. I’m here.”

As I tried to steady my breathing, I realized that the fabric under my hands felt really nice. Way nicer than his clothing usually did. I pulled back and looked up at him. His hair was a lot shorter. Not quite as short as he had it in the 40s, but it was still a big change. I lifted my hand up and rubbed his clean-shaven cheek.

“What…?” I started to ask. But then I saw what he was wearing. Somehow, he had gotten a dark grey pinstripe suit. He even wore a button-down shirt underneath, the blue the same color as his eyes. No tie though, not that I would have expected him to ever wear one.

Bucky took a step back and handed me a garment bag, “Put this on.”

“What’s going on?” I asked as I took it from him. When I unzipped the bag, I saw a silky blue dress inside. The blue a couple of shades darker than his shirt. I took it out and looked at it. It would go down to the floor, but there was a slit in the side that went up a lot higher than I thought I would be comfortable with. Thin straps held the top up, which had basically no back and a deep V at the neck.

“I’m taking you to dinner,” he flushed. “Steve helped me take care of all this. I wanted to surprise you in New York. Had a reservation and everything. But, with us being here instead… Fury actually knows someone, he got us a new reservation at a steakhouse a few blocks from here.”

My eyes narrowed, “Seriously, Buck, what’s going on?”

“Get dressed. I’m sorry I didn’t get you any shoes, but I know how much you despise heels. Plus, you always have such a hard time finding shoes that are comfortable. So if you want to just wear your sneakers, that’s fine.”

“James Buchanan Barnes, I am not wearing sneakers with this fancy-ass dress.” I went over to the bed and dug around in the bag, pulling out a pair of black leather flats, “I had brought these for our meeting with Fury. I’m assuming it’s at SHIELD headquarters, so I brought nicer clothes with me for it.”

Grabbing the dress and the shoes, I headed for the bathroom. Bucky sat on the edge of the bed to wait for me. It didn’t take long for me to take off all my clothes, including my underwear. The slit came all the way up my hip, so wearing panties was out of the question. And with the dress having no back and a deep V in front, I couldn’t wear a bra either. I braided my hair quickly into a loose French braid, then slipped on the shoes.

Walking out, I smiled when Bucky’s jaw dropped, “Holy fuck, Bri. That looks even better on you than I thought it would.” He stood and walked over to me. Grabbing me by the hips, he pulled me against him and softly kissed my lips, “You are so beautiful.”

“You don’t look half bad yourself.” I reached up and smoothed his hair to the side, “I like your hair this way. Although, I like it longer too. To be honest, I don’t care what you look like. You are hot no matter what length your hair is, or if you have a beard or not.” My hand stroked his cheek, “However, I will say that you look fucking fabulous. You could be a model with your looks, this new haircut, and all smooth cheeked.”

He kissed me again and laughed against my mouth, “We should head out if we’re going to make our reservation.”

At the restaurant, we ordered food and sipped on our beers. Bucky looked nervous, so I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. I frowned, “I’m sorry I told Tony about his parents. I just didn’t think… I didn’t want him to find out another way. Because he would know that I knew about it already and deliberately kept it from him.”

“Doll,” he squeezed my fingers. “Tony deserved to know the truth. I regret a lot of the things I did while I was with HYDRA, that is just one of the few things I remember that I feel awful happened. If you hadn’t told him, I was planning on doing it soon.”

“He was so upset,” I let go of his hand and took a big swig of my beer. “That’s why we had to come here early. Tony wanted you out of the Tower for a few days so he didn’t hurt you. He knows how much I love you and couldn’t bear to hurt me by hurting you.”

“Bri, I’m not worried about Tony.” His hands lowered to his lap, “Not even a little bit.” He pulled something out of his pocket, and I saw a black box in his hands. He twisted it over and over, the metal of his left hand stark against the velvet, “I got you something. It isn’t what I wanted to get, but Steve and the saleslady told me it was too soon to ask what I want to.” He slid it across the table to me, “Instead, this is my promise to you. My promise that I’m never leaving you, no matter what. You are my forever, doll."

I picked up the box, opening it. Inside was a necklace with a diamond solitaire pendant. I looked at him, eyes wide, “This is beautiful, Bucky. Just so you know, my answer would have been yes. Both now, and later. So you can ask me whenever you want. Steve and the saleslady don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. I love you with every fiber of my being. You are my happily ever after.”

As I put the necklace on, he grinned and reached inside his jacket, pulling out a bag from the inside pocket. He stood and walked over to my side of the table, kneeling on the ground. As he pulled out a ring, he said, “Even though Steve and the saleslady both said I shouldn’t ask you yet, I still got the ring because I knew I wouldn’t be able to wait too long.” Grabbing my left hand, he slid the ring onto my finger, “You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you more than I ever thought I could love somebody.”

His eyes shone as he looked at me, “When I think about my future, I can't picture it without you. It doesn't matter if we're in Bucharest, Moscow, Paris, or the Antarctic. You are the one I want to have my adventures with, the one I want to wake up every morning next to, the one I want to spend the remainder of my days with. Even when I’m a moody bastard, you still love me.” He placed a kiss to my fingers, then looked up at me with so much love in his eyes I started to tear up, “Miss Brianna Eleanor Mayfield, I love you more than words can express. Will you marry me?”

Tears fell down my cheeks and it took everything I had just to nod my head. He stood and pulled me up, kissing me softly. When he pulled back, I reached up and cupped his cheek, “Yes, Mr. James Buchanan Barnes, I will marry you.”


	40. Chapter 40

2015 

Back at the hotel, Bucky walked into the room first and I followed. After I shut the door, he pulled me against him and kissed me hard. His hands bunched into my dress, pulling it up. I laid my hands over his and pulled back slightly. Leaning forward, I kissed this side of his neck, licking the skin.

I pushed the jacket off his arms, tossing it onto the chair. As I unbuttoned his shirt, I chuckled, “So, Mr. Barnes, I’ve been wanting to explore something for a while.”

I placed a kiss on his chest as I took his shirt off and tossed it on top of the jacket. “What’s that?” he tried to push the straps of the dress down my shoulders, but I stopped him by grabbing his hands and moving them to my ass.

Then I unbuckled his belt, opened his pants, and pushed them down to the ground. Dropping to my knees I placed a kiss to his cock through his underwear as I helped him remove his shoes. Once his shoes and pants were off, I raised my hands and slowly pulled down his underwear, still kneeling on the floor, “Remember a while back, when you told me how hot it was when I took control?”

He stepped out of his boxers, “I seem to recall something like that.”

“Well, tonight Mr. Barnes, I am planning on having a little bit of fun.” I reached up and grabbed his cock, then licked the tip. When he moaned, I chuckled, “Do you think you can do what I say? Can you do that for me? Be a good boy?”

He moved his hands behind his back and groaned as I slid his cock into my mouth, “Fuck, doll.” 

I moved my mouth up and down on his cock, sucking lightly. When I felt hands in my hair, I pulled off and moved back on my heels, “No touching, Bucky.” I stood and pushed him back until he ran into the edge of the bed. I shoved him light enough that he would know I wanted him on the bed.

As he lay back on the bed, I slipped off my shoes. I climbed onto the bed, still wearing my dress and pulled it far enough up my legs that I could kneel over his thighs. “Place your hands on the headboard. Hold on and don’t move them. Can you do that for me?”

Bucky moved his hands above his head but didn’t grab the headboard, just held onto his wrists. “Good enough, doll? I don’t want to break the headboard if I hold too tight.”

“Just don’t move them,” I smiled and scooted forward until I was positioned right above his hips. I lifted the dress a little, reached between my thighs and gripped his cock in my hand so I could lower myself onto him. “Fuck, Bucky.”

He bit his lower lip and groaned, “Take off the dress, doll. I want to see you.”

“Nope, not yet.” I rocked my hips back and forth slowly. Placing my hands on his chest, I dragged my fingers over his muscles, admiring the glint of the diamond on my hand, “You know, I really fucking love you. I’m still not sure how I got so lucky to have you in my life.”

He moved his hands to my hips and held me in place. Using only his ab muscles, he sat up and wrapped his arms around me, “Love, it’s me who got lucky.” He kissed me softly, moving his hands to my hips. Gripping tight, he started moving me on top of him. Then he grabbed the dress and pulled it over my head.

“I thought I told you…” I started to say, but he kissed me again and then flipped me onto the bed while he was still inside me. Pressing up, he started thrusting into me, hard and slow. He would slowly pull all the way out, then thrust in hard and fast. He repeated this over and over again until I was throbbing with need. “Are you going to fuck me, or are you trying to drive me nuts?”

He laughed and leaned down, kissing me hard, “Well, if you wanted me to fuck you…” He pushed up again and grabbed each of my legs with an arm. With his hands holding me in place, legs pushed to their max extent, he started fucking me hard and fast.

“Goddamn,” I moaned, reaching between my legs to rub my clit. “Just like that, baby, just like that.” I could feel my orgasm approaching fast and I reached up with both hands to bring Bucky’s face down to mine, kissing him hard as my orgasm hit. I screamed against his mouth, fingernails digging into his back.

As my pussy clenched tight on his cock, he thrust into me again and came, his head pulling away from me as he groaned loudly. Moving his arms so I could bring my legs down, he stayed inside me as he softened. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to my lips, “Sorry, doll, I just couldn’t help myself.”

I ran my hands through his shorter hair, down to his shoulders, “It’s okay, my love. I didn’t expect you to listen to me for too long anyway.”

He pulled out of me and pushed up, “Oh, really? You had so little faith in me.” Bucky stuck out his lower lip like he was pouting, “And here I was thinking you…”

I glared at him and chuckled, “Bucky, you know I have all the faith in the world in you. I just know what you’re like during sex. You like to be the one in control, and I like that too.” I pushed him to the side and curled against him, resting my hand on his chest, “Do you think we’re moving too fast? I mean, if Steve thinks…”

“Doll, we knew each other for five months before we started going steady.” I had to bite back a chuckle at his word usage. He continued, “We dated for another five months before saying I love you. It’s been four months since then. We spend every day together when I’m not off doing something for Fury or to help one of the others out.” Running his hand down my arm, he spoke with conviction, “I love you, Brianna, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you think we’re moving too fast, we can pretend I didn’t ask you. But I’m not going to change my mind.”

“I love you too.” I pushed myself up so I could look down at him, “Not for one second do I regret saying yes. All I want is to make sure that we’re both on the same page, that’s all.”

I laid back down on his chest and yawned. Bucky reached and picked up the blanket that had fallen off the side of the bed in our lovemaking, throwing it on top of us, “I want to marry you. Nothing can change my mind on that. Now, go to sleep, baby girl.”

“Mmm, I like that,” I said as I snuggled against him.

“What do you like?”

“When you call me that.”

“You like when I call you baby girl?” I murmured my affirmative as I closed my eyes and yawned again, “Well, baby girl, if it makes you happy, it makes me happy.”

 

Two days later, we stood in Fury’s office, staring at him as he finished a phone call. I had decided against wearing my nice clothes, just putting on jeans and a t-shirt with my sneakers. Bucky put on his suit, looking a hell of a lot nicer than I did. When we left the hotel, I almost changed into something nicer when I saw what he had put on, but we ended up not having enough time.

Fury hung up the phone and turned to look at us, “Miss Mayfield, Mr. Barnes, thank you so much for coming today.” His eyes traveled over me and he frowned, “Could you not wear something a little nicer?”

“I’m not trying to impress you, Nick.” I crossed my arms over my chest, “Why the fuck would I dress up for what is essentially you trying to railroad Bucky into…?”

Fury sighed, “Dammit, Mayfield. Didn’t you talk to Rogers? I explained this all to him.”

Bucky placed a hand on my back as my hands clenched into fists. I glared at him, “Fuck you, Fury. You could have told me yourself. That would have saved us both a lot of irritation.”

He just picked his phone back up, “Heather, do you still keep that extra dress and shoes in your desk?” He paused, “Can you bring them here, please? Thanks.”

His secretary came in carrying a pair of heels and a black dress. When she tried to hand them to me, I glared at her, “No way, Fury. I’m not putting on your assistant's clothes.”

“Mayfield, she is literally the same size as you. You’ll want to be dressed nicer for what’s to come, trust me.” He gestured to a door in his office, “Go change in the bathroom, we’ll wait.”

“What, for me to leave Bucky alone so you can attack him?”

Bucky turned me to face him, “I’ll be fine, Bri. Go get changed. You won’t be in there long enough for him to do anything to me, and I can hold my own.” When my eyes narrowed, he smiled, “I promise to scream real loud if anyone comes after me.”

I laughed and took the items from Heather, “Fine.” It didn’t take me long to change. But it was long enough for me to regret not wearing nicer clothes. Fury was right as usual, the clothes fit me like a glove. The dress came down to my knees and didn’t show any cleavage, but it clung to my body like a second skin. I had no idea why his secretary wore the same size dress and shoes as me, but it was definitely convenient.

I came out and put my other clothes down on a chair and smoothed the dress over my hips, “Now that I’m dressed more to your liking, what’s this all about?”

Fury stood and walked to the door, “Follow me.” We went down a hallway and into a conference room, “Take a seat. We’ll get started in about thirty minutes.”

He left the room and Bucky and I sat on one side of the table, “What do you think this is about?”

Bucky looked at me, “I don’t know, baby girl. Steve didn’t tell me anything either. Just told me to dress nice.”

“And you couldn’t have told me,” I smiled so he would know I wasn’t upset with him.

“If you had listened to me this morning,” he started, threading his fingers through mine. “Maybe you wouldn’t be wearing Heather’s clothes. I told you to wear something nice.”

“But you didn’t tell me why.”

“I don’t know why.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my temple, “The only information Steve gave me was that this wasn’t a bad thing. When I pressed him for more details, he wouldn’t say anything else.”

“Remind me to punch Steve in the face when we get back.”

Bucky threw back his head and laughed loudly, “Only if I get to watch.”

Heather came into the room and looked at us, “You guys might want to stand up.” She left the room as we looked at her like she was crazy.

When the door opened and Fury walked in followed by a familiar face, I stood quickly and knocked Bucky in the shoulder. He stood as well, buttoning his jacket as he did.

“Brianna, it’s good to see you again,” President Ellis said.

“Mr. President,” I put my hands behind my back to hide the slight tremor.

Ellis walked over and shook my hand, then shook Bucky’s, “You must be Sergeant Barnes. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

“Mr. President,” Bucky said softly. “I haven’t been a sergeant for a long time.”

“Nonsense, once a sergeant, always a sergeant.” Ellis grinned, “Hooah. I’m Army from back during the Gulf War. Always happy to meet a fellow grunt.”

“Not to be obstinate, sir, but why are you here?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but I couldn’t think of a good reason for him to be there.

He gestured to his aide who brought over a thick blue folder and handed it to him, “I was trying to make small talk, but you’re right to be worried. With the charges the FBI is bringing against Barnes, if he were to be brought in, he could face the death penalty.”

“Fuck,” I sat back down in the chair, dropping my head into my hands.

“However, Fury had a suggestion for how to fix that.” I looked back up and Ellis gave me a small smile, “He also said that it was your idea originally. Now, I’m not doing this because you saved my life. I’m doing this because Barnes is a hero, and the things that I’ve been told HYDRA did to him while he was a prisoner are far more horrible than anything else I've ever had the misfortune to hear about. The fact that he was brainwashed, well the FBI doesn’t care about that, but I do.” He turned to Bucky and handed him the blue folder, “Sergeant Barnes, you served our country with honor and distinction. I wish we had known you were a POW, maybe we could have gotten you out sooner.”

Bucky looked down at me and held out his hand. When I took it, he pulled me up and wrapped his arm around me, “If you had, sir, I never would have met Brianna.”

“I can’t make the FBI investigation disappear, but I can derail their plans.” He nodded in the direction of the folder, “That is a pardon for anything you may have done while under control of HYDRA. So, anything that the Winter Soldier is accused of between 1945 and 2014, it’s been wiped clean. Basically, what I’m trying to say is don’t do anything stupid from here on out and you're home free.”

As Bucky opened the folder to look inside, Ellis’s aide brought him an envelope. Holding it in his hands, Ellis grinned, “Now for the fun part. Again, I can’t do this through official channels, and I’m sure you can understand why. However, you spent more time as a POW than anyone else in this country so I feel a certain obligation to do this myself. Unfortunately, the blowback would be too extreme if I did this publicly, which is part of the reason we are doing it here at SHIELD headquarters.” His face turned serious, “But just because we are doing this here, doesn’t make it any less real or sincere.”

“It’s alright, sir, I understand.” Bucky closed the folder, “To be quite honest, I would rather stay out of the public eye.”

Ellis handed him the envelope, “This is the back pay you are owed. I know it can never make up for what you went through, but hopefully, it will make your transition into this new world a little bit easier.”

Bucky placed both items on the table and held out his hand for Ellis to shake, “Mr. President, thank you very much.”

I walked around Bucky and gave him a hug, “Thanks, Mr. President.”

Ellis hugged me back and then looked at his watch, “I’ve got to be going. Sergeant Barnes, thank you for your service. Your country is grateful for your sacrifice.” He turned to me, “Miss Mayfield, I hope that you and Barnes have a lovely life together. I expect an invitation to the wedding.”

After Heather took him out of the conference room, I turned to Fury, “I’m sorry.”

“What for, Mayfield?” Fury seemed confused.

“Not believing you. For thinking that you would try and arrest Bucky.”

“Oh, if I had been told to, I would have done it in a heartbeat and without a seconds hesitation.” He sighed, “I’m just glad I didn’t have to. Going against the Winter Soldier and the rest of the Avengers, not to mention you, not my idea of a good time.”

“Me?” I laughed. “Why would you be worried about going against me?”

“Mayfield, I’ve been around men who are quiet and unassuming. The kind of guy you would never think twice about. The kind of guy that seems like they would never hurt a fly.” He looked directly at me and smiled, “You jumped off a bridge and broke your ankle to save Bucky. Not to mention you got stabbed. And what you’re doing to combat the threat of Thanos… I do not want to bet against you, Brianna. If you ever want a job, I can find a place to put you.”

“Thanks, Fury. But I have one already,” I grabbed Bucky’s hand. “Also, thanks for setting this up. I know you didn’t have to do it, but it means the world to me.”

“And to me as well,” Bucky added.

“Yeah, well, all I ask is that you consider joining the Avengers.” When I glared at him, Fury chuckled, “That’s not why I did it. However, you would be an asset to the team. Just consider it, that’s all I ask.”

Bucky looked down at me, his expression saying it was my choice. But I could tell that he wanted to say yes. I whispered in his ear, “If you want to join the Avengers, go ahead, I won’t stop you.” His eyes narrowed and I added, “I love you, Bucky. I want you to be happy. If joining makes you happy, it makes me happy.”

Bucky turned to Fury, “Alright, Fury. I’ve been thinking about it since you first proposed it. To be honest, I enjoy working with the others, and the work itself is rewarding. If you still want me to join the Avengers, I will.”

“Very good,” Fury held out his hand and they shook. “I’ll send the paperwork to Stark Tower sometime next week.”

“One condition,” Bucky said. When Fury’s eyebrows rose, he said, “I won’t spend all my time away from Brianna. We’re getting married, and I want to be with her. If it becomes too time-consuming, I will quit.”

“Don’t worry, Barnes. You won’t go on missions any more often than Rogers does. And he cut back on his hours back when him and May…” he stopped and looked at me.

“Fury was going to say, Steve cut back on his hours when we were still together. I got hurt and he decided to spend more time with me.” I looked up at Bucky and didn’t see any anger or jealousy in his eyes, “Now he gets to spend his time with… He’s happy, and he doesn’t have to work too often.”

“Alright then, send the paperwork over and I will fill it out.”

Fury left the room and Bucky picked up the folder and envelope, “This is probably the best wedding present Fury could have given us.”

“Yeah, I would say so. But you just gave him a pretty big win too,” I stood on my toes and gave him a soft kiss. “I’m so glad we don’t have to escape to Antarctica.”

“We still can, if you want to,” Bucky laughed.

“Honestly, I would rather go to Bucharest. At least you speak the language there, and it’s not as cold.”

Heather came in with a bag, “Here are your clothes.” She smiled, “You can just keep those. Fury had me buy them specifically for you, knowing you wouldn’t come dressed appropriately. So don’t worry about getting them back to me.”

She left the room and I grabbed Bucky’s hand, “Well, we got one more night in the fancy hotel. Want to go and fondue some more?”

Bucky smiled down at me, “I will always want to fondue with you, baby girl. Even when we’re old and grey.” He kissed me gently, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	41. Chapter 41

2015 

Happy came to pick me and Bucky up to go back to New York. As we drove, he kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror. I smiled, “Hey, Hap. How are things with you? I feel like I don’t see you anymore.”

“You just saw me a few days ago,” he grinned. “But I get what you’re saying. Pepper is busy as CEO of Stark Industries, and I’ve mostly been driving her around. Tony prefers to take his own car nowadays.”

“Can I ask you something, Hap?”

“Anything, kid.”

“How’s Tony doing? Has he calmed down at all?” I was terrified for his answer. We were heading back home and I didn’t want to hurt him again, nor did I want him seeing Bucky and having that send him into a tailspin.

Happy’s eyes met mine in the mirror, “To be honest, kid, he’s still upset. But after breaking half of his lab, he’s not angry anymore.” He sighed, “I’m guessing you’re asking if it’s safe to come home.”

“Basically,” I scooted closer to Bucky and wrapped myself around his arm, resting my head on his shoulder. “I don’t want Tony to be hurt anymore, but I also don’t want him to hurt Bucky.”

“Baby girl, I’ll be fine,” he said softly.

I sighed, “I know, you’re tougher than you look. But still, it shouldn’t happen at all. If I have to choose between you guys…” I turned my face against his chest, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

“What do you mean, kid?” Happy sounded confused. “Tony told me a little about what’s going on, but not everything.”

“When I was sent here to change the future, I was told that the team needed to stay together.” Pausing, I sat up and looked out the window, but kept a hold on Bucky’s hand, “One of the things that made them split up before was the fact that Bucky killed Tony’s parents. Steve took his side, and the team split in half. It wasn’t good, Hap. It’s part of the reason Thanos didn’t get defeated the first time.”

“I see,” he sighed. “Tony is upset, but he’s not going to try and kill Bucky. I promise. He’s the one that told me it was fine to bring you back. Otherwise, I would have taken you a hotel.”

“You swear?”

“Yeah, kid, I swear.” He looked in the mirror again and smiled, “Now, what’s that sparkling thing I see on your hand?”

I looked down at my ring, but Bucky answered, “Brianna has done me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.” He kissed my temple, “Now we just have to figure out how to tell everyone.”

“Without them telling us that we’re rushing things,” I chuckled.

Happy laughed too, “Even I can tell how madly in love you two are. I don’t think that anyone is going to have a problem with you getting married. And if anyone thinks it’s too soon, just tell them to shut up. I’ve been married twice, neither time was the courtship fast. I was with my first wife for three years before we got married. We did because it was expected of us. The second wife, we were together for five years before getting married. She didn’t want kids, I did.” He turned off the freeway onto the main road to the Tower, “People break up for all sorts of reasons. But in both of my marriages, we weren’t as in love as you guys. Just remember to talk about the important things, you’ll be fine.”

Once we got back to the Tower, Bucky and I headed up to the main floor. We walked off the elevator and I saw Tony standing in the kitchen, Steve and Nat on the couch. Turning to Bucky, I hugged and kissed him, “I’m going to talk to Tony.”

“Hey,” he tucked my hair behind my ear. “I love you, just remember that. If I have to leave to keep the team together, I will. Defeating Thanos is more important than one man.”

“No,” I shook my head and wrapped my arms tighter around him. “I won’t lose you.”

“Baby girl, remember my promise,” he lifted the necklace, then let it fall back onto my chest. “It doesn’t matter where I am, you will never lose me. We will always find one another again, no matter what. You are my endgame, my forever. If you think I’m going to let anyone come between us for too long, you’re mistaken.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a basket case about this,” I mumbled against his chest. “It’s just, I truthfully never thought I would find something like this. I’m scared to death that I am going to lose it somehow.”

His hand ran down my hair, over and over, trying to calm me down, “I can’t promise forever, not really. But as long as I’m alive, I will find you. I swear on my life, the only thing that will keep me from you is if I am…”

“Don’t say it. I don’t even want to think about it,” I said as I pulled back. I wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed him softly, “I’m going to talk to Tony now.”

“I’ll be with Steve and Natasha.”

I walked over to the kitchen and up to Tony. When I cleared my throat, he turned around and frowned, “Kiddo, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“I love you to death, Tony, but that’s not why I came over.” I looked everywhere but his eyes, “How are you doing?”

Tony’s fingers went under my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes, “Kiddo, I’ve had four days to calm down. I’m still upset, after all, I did just find out my parents were murdered instead of just in a car accident like I thought for years.” He grabbed my shoulders, “However, I’m not going to hurt your boy toy. Not even a light love tap.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, “I’m so sorry, Tony. I should have told you years ago when I first got here.”

“Let’s not think about what-ifs, Bri.” He pulled back and grabbed two beers out of the fridge, opening them. When he handed one to me, he noticed the ring on my hand, “So, are congratulations in order?”

I twisted the ring on my finger and blushed, “Yeah.”

“I’m happy for you, kiddo.”

“Tony,” I looked up at him. “You really are like a father to me, you know. Assuming we don’t just get married at the courthouse, will you walk me down the aisle?”

“Really?” his eyes widened and he smiled. “Truly, you want me to walk you down the aisle?”

“I love you, Tony. Nothing would make me happier than for you to give me away on my wedding day.”

He pulled me into his arms and off the floor, twirling me around. As he laughed, the others meandered over and leaned on the island counter. When I looked at Bucky, he had a happy smile on his face. Steve and Natasha just looked confused.

Steve asked, “Tony, what’s going on?”

“You want to tell him, Bri?” Tony looked at me and I shook my head

I smiled at my fiance, “I think it should come from Bucky.”

Steve turned to Bucky, “What do I not know?”

Natasha gave me a knowing look and glanced down at my finger seeing the ring. She came over and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear, “I’m so happy for you.” She pulled away and we both looked at Steve and Bucky.

Bucky had a sly grin on his face. He shrugged, “I gave her the necklace you helped me pick out. She really likes it.”

Steve looked at me, then back at Bucky, “You didn’t?” When Bucky grinned, he sighed, “You did. Fuck, I thought you were going to wait.”

All of us looked at him in shock. I couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t just be happy for us. I could see Bucky getting upset, his hands clenched into fists. He took a step toward Steve, “You don’t get to be upset about this, Steve. She’s my girl, we’re going to be married. You’re like my brother, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you ruin this.”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Buck.” Steve ran a hand through his hair and then looked to me like he wanted me to back him up. I just shook my head and glared at him. He turned back to Bucky, “I just don’t want you to rush into anything.”

Before Bucky could say or do anything else, I tapped Steve on the shoulder. When he turned around, I punched him as hard as I could in the jaw. He stared at me in shock while I held my hand against my chest, “Fuck, I think I just broke my hand on your face.”

“Sweetheart…” he started to say.

“No, Steve. You don’t get to call me that, not after saying that it’s too soon for me and Bucky to get married.” I dropped my hands, ignoring the throbbing in the hand that had just hit him, “We love each other and are going to spend the rest of our lives together. You can either support us or fuck off.”

Bucky walked around Steve and came over to me, placing a hand on my back. He said softly, “United we stand, baby girl.”

“Right now, I don’t care.” I leaned against Bucky, “Can’t you just be happy for us? Can’t you just congratulate us?”

“I am happy for you,” he rubbed his cheek. “I just worry, that’s all.” 

This time, Natasha smacked him upside the head, “Well, I’m happy for you. I know that you guys will be very happy together. Steve is just…”

“You don’t need to apologize for me, Tasha.” Steve shook his head like he was clearing his thoughts, “Look, let me try again.” He turned to Bucky and held out his hand for him to shake, “Buck, I’m happy for you, truly I am. If you guys need anything at all, let me know.” Then he turned to me, “Brianna, I’m sorry if I was an asshole about it. You’re one of my best friends, I love you. I worry about you, that’s it. I think you guys make a swell couple.”

My eyebrow rose, “Really? You’re not just saying that.”

“No, I’m not. I’m just an asshole, that’s all. You should know that by now.”

I took a step forward and gave him a tight hug, “You’re not an asshole, Steve. You’re just a little overbearing sometimes. I think you forget that I’m an independent woman who can make her own decisions. I’m almost thirty years old, I don’t make rash decisions anymore. The last rash decision I made brought me here.” I pulled back, “I just want you to be happy for me.”

“I am,” he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Tony clapped his hands together, “Alright, now who wants some champagne.”

“If it’s alright with you, Tony,” Bucky said softly, “I would like to get some sleep. We were in the car for hours, and I know Bri must be tired.”

I faked a yawn, “Yeah, I am.”

Tony looked at me in disbelief. But then again, he always knew when I was lying, “Tomorrow then.” He came over and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear, “I really am happy for you, kiddo.” Then he clapped Bucky on the shoulder, “I’m happy for you too. And before you ask, I forgive you for what happened to my parents. It wasn’t your fault, but HYDRAs.”

“Thanks, Tony. But for what it’s worth, I am sorry. I’ve done a lot of things I regret, a lot of things that I can’t make up for. Your parents, that's just one of the many things I can't undo.” He looked down at me, “That’s part of the reason I told Fury I would join the Avengers. I want to do some good, try to atone.”

“Try to wipe some of the red from your ledger,” Natasha said softly.

He nodded, “Yeah.” When I fake yawned again, he put his arm around my waist, “Alright, we’re going to bed. See you in the morning.”

As we walked to the elevator, Steve yelled, “Run at six?”

“I’ll be there,” Bucky yelled back.


	42. Chapter 42

2015

Sitting on the couch, I stared out the large window. My phone was in my hand, but I had stopped looking at news articles. I had stumbled across one that didn’t make sense. A picture of a lanky body wearing a pair of blue sweatpants, a blue and red sweatshirt, with a red hood that covered the face of that person. Black eyes and a spider emblem on the chest led me to only one conclusion, but it couldn’t be him, we still had at least another year before he should be working the streets.

The sound of footsteps had me turning to look behind me. Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Bucky all had bags in their hands and equally perturbed expressions on their faces. I stood and stuck the phone in my pocket. Now was not the time to talk to Tony about this.

Moving around the couch, I walked over to Bucky and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, “What’s going on love?”

“We have to go to Sokovia,” Tony said, irritated. I had told them what was supposed to happen in Sokovia, or at least what had in the movies. Since the scepter had been taken apart and I had told Tony not to make an AI that would fight crime for them, I couldn’t imagine why they would need to go.

“I’m confused.”

“Yeah, so am I,” Tony sighed. “Fury told us there is a HYDRA base there that needs to be taken care of. Clint is on his way to meet us at the airfield, Bruce is going to meet us there as is Thor. Fury didn’t tell us anything else, so I’m not sure why we’re going.”

I looked at Bucky, “You won’t do anything stupid, right?”

“How can I?”

“I know,” I laughed, “I’m keeping all the stupid here.”

“Actually, I was going to say that I know you’d beat my ass if I did anything stupid,” he grinned and gave me a deeper kiss. “We still have a wedding to plan, and I’m not missing that for the world.”

I looked at them and shook my head, “If the base you’re going to is the one I’m thinking of, you need to try and sneak in. And by sneak, I mean stealth. If they start firing at you, they will hit the town.” I sighed, “Just be careful.”

“We will,” Steve said, giving me a soft smile. He placed a hand on Natasha’s back, “This should be a simple operation, in and out in a few days. We’ll be back before you know it.”

After they left, I sat back down on the couch and pulled up the news article again. The picture was credited to Peter Parker, who should not be working for the Daily Bugle yet. If the movies were correct, he would be only thirteen or fourteen right now, not nearly old enough to be working for the newspaper.

I spoke out loud, “JARVIS, can you do me a favor?”

His robotic British voice sounded pleased, “Of course, Miss Mayfield. Anything you need? Did you want to discuss wedding venues? I’ve been compiling information on the best places and best times of the year for a wedding, including if you want to have it outdoors.”

I chuckled, “While that’s very thoughtful of you, not right now. Can you look up May and Peter Parker for me? I think they live in Queens. Peter should be somewhere between thirteen and twenty”

“Give me a moment.” He went silent and I continued to stare at the picture on my phone. The news article talked about how the masked man had saved a child from a burning building. The article itself was written by someone named Jason Anderson, but the photo was all Peter. JARVIS came back, “You are in luck, Miss Mayfield. There are many May and Peter Parkers in and around Queens. However, there is only one pair of them where Peter is under twenty. I have sent the information to your cell phone.”

“Thanks, JARVIS.” I looked at the information. Apparently, Peter was older than I had originally thought. At seventeen, he was still young, but older than the movies had made him out to be. It had his address as well as the high school he attended as a senior, “When does Peter get out of school?”

“At three. May I ask why you want to know this information?”

Sighing, I put the phone back in my pocket, “It’s nothing, JARVIS.”

“Miss Mayfield,” he sounded disappointed. “I know you are lying to me, but I won’t press you for more than you are willing to give. From what I see about Mr. Parker, his parents died when he was younger and he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle was killed not too long ago, and since then he has been moonlighting for the Daily Bugle, selling pictures.” He paused, “All of the pictures appear to be of a masked man rescuing people, stopping robberies, hanging upside down… Do you know what this is, Miss Mayfield?”

“If I say no, you won’t believe me.” I stood and headed for the elevator to go up to my apartment, “It’s not a big deal, I promise. It’s just someone that will be important in the long run.”

“Should I tell…”

“No, don’t call Tony. He doesn’t need the distraction right now. I can take care of this.”

"If you say so, Miss Mayfield. And when you are ready, we can go through the wedding information I have compiled."

"Definitely.

Upstairs, I changed into something a little nicer, a pair of slacks and a blouse. Since I still technically worked for Tony as his assistant, I could use that fact to get to Peter. At least, use that to get near Peter.

Around three, I had Happy drop me off at May’s house and walked up to the door. Knocking, I waited patiently. She came to the door and I couldn’t help but smile. She looked exactly the same as in the movies, brown hair and glasses, slender and very pretty.

She gave me a look, “Yes?”

“Mrs. Parker?” I held out my hand for her to shake, “My name is Brianna Mayfield, I work for Stark Industries. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?”

“What is this about?” she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest, ignoring my hand.

“I’m here for Peter Parker. We have an internship at Stark Industries that we are interested in him for. An application was submitted in his name, we honestly think that he is the perfect fit.”

She sighed and moved out of the way, “He’ll be home in about fifteen minutes. Come on in and sit down on the couch, I’ll grab you a drink. What can I get you?”

“A soda will be fine, thanks.”

After she brought me a soda, she sat down on the other end of the couch, “I didn’t know Peter had applied for any internship, let alone at Stark Industries.”

“To be honest, Mrs. Parker, I think it might have been a school counselor. From what I understand, Peter is a very smart kid. He deserves to have this opportunity,” I took a sip of the soda.

She sighed, “First, please call me May.” Looking down at her hands, she twisted her fingers together, “When Ben, my husband died, Peter spiraled into a depression. He thinks that it’s his fault Ben died. If this can help him, you have my full support.”

The front door opened and a boy with shaggy hair walked in. He stopped when he saw me sitting on the couch, “Aunt May, what’s going on?”

“This is Brianna Mayfield, she’s here about the Stark internship.”

I turned around and gave him my best smile, “Mr. Stark was very impressed with your application. He wants to offer you the internship.”

He frowned, “I didn’t apply for an internship.”

May pointed to a chair, “Come on, Peter. Sit down and hear what she has to say.”

Sitting in the chair, he crossed his arms, looking every bit the surly teenager, “I still didn’t apply for an internship.” He glared at me, “How do I even know this is real?”

Sighing I pulled out my phone and held up a finger while I dialed. Tony answered, “Kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“Mr. Stark, this is Brianna Mayfield.”

“Alright, you need me to be official. Got it.” He chuckled, “Just make it quick, kiddo. We’re heading out in a little bit to go out to the HYDRA base.”

“Mr. Stark, I’m here with Peter Parker about the Stark Industries internship.”

“The what now?” he sounded shocked. “What are you up to, Bri?”

“Can you talk to him and let him know that it’s legit? It will be easier to talk to him about it if he knows that I am telling the truth,” as I talked to him, Peter started looking more and more confused. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not, but it seemed like he was warming up to me.

“I can spin something for him, but you better explain to me later what’s going on.” He sighed, “And before you hand me off to this Peter Parker, Bucky wants me to tell you that he loves you.”

“Tell him the same from me.” I stood and walked to Peter, “Mr. Stark would like to talk to you.”

He took the phone from me and listened. When he spoke, he sounded awed, “Mr. Stark, but why would you want me?... Really?... When would I start?... Sure, I can talk to Miss Mayfield about it… Thank you, Mr. Stark, for this opportunity… I’ll give her back the phone.” He stood and handed it to me, “May, I’m going to my room if you need me.”

“Mr. Stark,” I said into the phone. “Thanks for talking to Peter.”

“Baby girl,” Bucky’s deep voice made me smile. “I just had to say hello before you hang up. I miss you terribly.”

“Of course, Mr. Stark. I understand and agree with you.”

“I already know you miss me.” I could hear the smile in his voice, “I love you, baby girl. Try to be good while I’m gone.”

“I have something else going on that day, so I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do my best.” I turned away from May so she wouldn’t see my blush. I said softly, “You know that I feel the same. I’ll talk to you later.”

“And don’t worry baby girl, I’ll be safe.”

We hung up and I turned back to May, “Would you mind if I went and talked to Peter? I just have some things I need to discuss with him before I leave?”

She stood and pointed, “That’s his room. Go ahead.” May smiled, “Thank you for this. I know it means a lot to Peter. He’s always liked Stark Industries, especially after Mr. Stark declared on national television that they weren’t going to make any more weapons.”

“I was at that press conference. I can tell you that most people weren’t happy about it, but it has made the world a safer place.” I grinned, “That’s why we want people like Peter. He is idealistic and good, just the kind of person we are looking for.”

I went back to his room and knocked on the door. He called out, “Come in.”

Entering the room, I looked around. Looking up, I saw the attic access that was slightly off-kilter. At least that was still the same. I moved my face to look at him, “Peter, can I call you Peter?” He nodded and I shut the door. Softly, I reached up on my toes and pressed the attic access. His outfit fell out of the ceiling, “Or should I call you Spiderman?”

He raced over to grab the outfit before shoving it under his bed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Peter,” I took out my phone and showed him the image of Spiderman. “Nowhere in any of the articles does it talk about what the hero saving people is called. And those shots you’ve taken, they are closer than anyone could actually get to Spiderman without him noticing.”

His eyes went wide and he looked scared, “What do you want?”

I held up my hands, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m not going to tell anyone your secret, I promise. And the Stark internship, it’s more of a superhero internship. If you want it, that is?”

“Wait, are you talking about the Avengers?” I nodded and he smiled, “Really? That would be so cool.” He pulled out the suit from under the bed and showed me something, “These are the web-shooters I created. The webbing is actually something I developed myself.”

I placed a hand on his arm, “Mr. Stark will be very impressed. I also think that he might be able to help you with a better suit if you want one.” I tried to think about how long it would take for them to get back. Instead, I took a card out of my purse and wrote a phone number on the back, “That’s my private cell. Mr. Stark is out of the country for a few days, and I’m not entirely sure when he’ll be back. But you can text me your info and I’ll get back to you as soon as I know when he’ll be getting home.”

“I can do that.” He took the card, “Please, tell Mr. Stark that I’m grateful for this opportunity. Real internship or not, it’s an honor to work with Iron Man in any way shape or form.”

“Sure thing, kid.”

He frowned, “I’m almost eighteen, not a kid.”

“Sorry, I just didn’t know you would be…” I changed what I was going to say at the last second, “I’m much older than you. Everyone under twenty is a kid to me. If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Stark calls me kiddo all the time.”

“Still,” he frowned again.

“I get it,” sticking my phone back in my purse I turned to leave. With my hand on the doorknob, I looked over my shoulder, “I really am looking forward to seeing you at work, Peter. Just try to stay safe until I can introduce you to the team.”

He scoffed, “I’m Spiderman, I don’t need you to remind me to be safe.”

“Just because you have superhuman strength, doesn’t mean you are invincible.” I tried not to frown, but I couldn’t help myself, “Just don’t do anything too stupid. You should at least meet the team first.”

He nodded, “Alright. And thanks again, Miss Mayfield. I really do look forward to meeting everyone.”

“Call me, Brianna. Miss Mayfield makes me feel older than I am.” I left the room and went back out to the living room. May still sat on the couch, “Thank you, May. Mr. Stark is out of town, but I’m going to get back in touch with Peter as soon as he returns. Mr. Stark really wants to be the one to introduce him around Stark Industries, but he should be back within the week.”

She stood and shook my hand, “Thank you so much for this. I know it’s just your job, but you don’t know how much this means to both me and Peter.”

“He deserves it, May. Peter is a smart kid, he’s going to make an excellent addition to our team. And I know that Mr. Stark is excited to meet him as well.”


	43. Chapter 43

2015

A cryptic text message to my phone had me standing outside the New York sanctum sanctorum at nine o’clock at night. I opened the door and Wong stood there, a grin on his face, “Little one, it’s so good to see you again.”

I walked up and gave him a hug, “So, why precisely did you call me here at this time of night? It’s kind of late, you know.”

He turned and started walking up the stairs, “Follow me.” As we walked upstairs, he continued, “Remember when you first got here, what you told me? The name you spoke only once. Well, I heard that name again recently. And it was so strange that it stuck out to me. Then I remembered what you said to me, and it occurred to me that he was the one who brought you here.”

We entered a room with only one door, and he stopped in front of it. He continued to grin and I couldn’t help but feel confused, “It’s too soon. It can’t be him.”

Wong’s brow furrowed, “Well, it is him. He’s been doing well, reading everything he can get his hands on. I thought you might like to meet him.”

I took a step back from the door, “I don’t know. He told me that he didn’t want to know his future, or what he became could be compromised.”

“You’re not going to tell him anything,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. “Come on, you should at least see him. You’ll be impressed, I promise you.”

“The Ancient One…”

“She has been wanting to meet you for five years.”

“Fine,” I sighed and he opened the door pulling me through until we stood in a stone room with three other doors and a stone altar in the middle of the room. The eye of Agamotto sat on it, but we bypassed that, heading into the library. “Where are we heading?”

“To the Ancient One. She asked that if I ever brought you here, to take you to see her first."

We headed up some stairs and to the area where Dr. Strange had first met her. An older Asian man sat behind a table and I nodded at him. It made me smile to remember how Strange thought he was the Ancient One. I looked over and saw her standing there, wearing yellow robes, her head completely bald.

As I walked up to her, she frowned. I stopped a couple of feet away, my hands behind my back. Nodding, I simply said, “Ancient One.”

“You must be Miss Mayfield,” she walked around me, taking me in from all angles before she stopped in front of me again. “Wong has told me many things about you. He has this belief that you are from an alternate timeline and reality.”

“Well, he wouldn’t be wrong.”

Her frown grew deeper, “That isn’t possible.”

I sighed. Of all the things I’ve had to do since coming to their reality, proving myself over and over again was my least favorite. I took a step closer to her and said softly so only she could hear, “Do they really know where you get your power? If I were to tell you that I know you get your power from the dark dimension, would you believe me then?”

She took and step back, waved her arms and shot her hand forward at me. Before her power could hit my chest, I held up the hand with the ring and it created a blue shield in front of me, stopping her from sending my soul out of my body. The room fell silent as they watched our exchange.

Frown deepening, she looked down at my hand and turned to Wong, “You gave her one of the ancient artifacts. Those are meant only for someone worthy, not this… this child.”

“Excuse me, but he didn’t give this to me. Stephen did.” I took another step toward her. Now that I knew she couldn’t knock the soul out of my body, she had ceased to scare me, “In 2030, he gave this to me so I have some means to protect myself. That’s all. If you want to send someone to New York to check that it’s still in the case, go ahead. We can wait.” I stood there, arms crossed over my chest.

She looked between me and Wong, “2030? Is that when you’re from?”

“No, I’m from 2019, but not this reality.” I sighed and dropped my arms, “Look, Wong brought me here to see Stephen, not to argue with you.” I spoke softer, “I’m not going to tell anyone that you draw power from the dark dimension to stay alive. I don’t really give a shit about you, or your hypocritical attitude about power. The only people in this place that I care about are Wong and Stephen. So unless you are going to physically stop me…” I held my hands out to the side and called Wolf and Winter to them. It took a few seconds, but they appeared in my hands, “Which you are certainly allowed to try, but I will defend myself.”

Her eyes dropped to my weapons, and they widened in shock, “May I see those?” I raised an eyebrow and she chuckled, “I will give them back, I swear it.”

I handed them to her, knowing that they were unhappy about it. But they stayed in her hands. Since Thor had given them to me, I had learned to understand their moods and managed to train them to listen to my wants. If I wanted someone else to be able to hold or use them, they would generally let them. Unless they felt deceit coming from the person in question, then they would fly back to their resting spot in my apartment.

The Ancient One turned them over in her hands, “These are very interesting. Not of this world, I take it.” I nodded and she continued to examine them, “These handles are quite intriguing. It looks like they might go together.” Stepping up to me, she handed me back Winter and showed me what she meant on Wolf, “These indentations match up to the other dagger. It looks like they might slot together. Have you tried that?”

I took Winter back from her and looked at both of them, “No, I haven’t.” I willed them to return home, “And to be quite honest, I’m not going to do it in front of you.”

“I can understand that.” She turned to Wong, “Go ahead, take her to see Stephen. He's outside with the others, practicing."

Wong grabbed me by the arm, dragging me out of the room. It wasn’t far to the outside patio where a group of maybe twenty people practiced their hand movements. Strange looked super scruffy, his hair longer than Bucky’s was currently and extremely fluffy, as well as a thick beard.

Leaning over to Wong, I said softly, “I thought you said he was doing well?”

“He is. At least, he has been from the little I've seen,” Wong frowned when all the practitioners had orange magic coming from their hands except Strange. “I only see him when he comes for more books. I work down in the library, at least I have since…”

“The old librarian was murdered for the book page,” I said softly.

He turned to me, “Yeah. I miss New York but helping Stephen find the books he needs is rewarding. He reads them faster than I can supply them.”

“Then why can’t he create the magic?” I stared at Strange, watching him get frustrated with his inability to do the same as the rest of the group.

Strange’s hands were shaking, and I could tell he was close to his breaking point. When he looked up, he saw me staring at him and frowned. I just smiled slightly and waved. His hands dropped and he left the group, ignoring the instructor who yelled his name.

As he walked up to me, he looked over at my companion, “Wong.”

“Stephen.”

Then Strange looked at me, “And you are?” He held out his shaky hand for me to shake.

Knowing that it must have been difficult for him to be so blasé about the scars on his hands, I shook it, clasping it between both of mine. I smiled larger, “Dr. Strange, it’s an honor to meet you. Your work with the brain is fascinating and awe-inspiring. The suboccipital craniotomy that you did on the guy with the bullet near the medulla, giving him back his life instead of letting his organs be harvested… You do great work, Dr. Strange.”

I must have been laying it on a little thick, because he gave me a look that said I was being an idiot, “I don’t practice anymore.”

“Because of the accident, the seven surgeries.” Wong elbowed me, but I ignored him, “You came to Kamar Taj to see if you could get your life back. Find a way to make your hands work again.” I took a step closer to him and lowered my voice, “Stephen, you are stronger than you know.”

The other practitioners went and grabbed rings from a tray, and the instructor came up to us, “Stephen, you need to return to practice.”

Strange ignored him, “Do I know you? You feel familiar to me for some reason.”

“No,” I smiled as I shook my head. “I’m just a fan of your work, that’s all.”

Wong must have grabbed the ring for Strange, because he walked back up to us and handed it to him, “Give it another shot, Stephen. You’ve been doing enough reading, you should be able to do this by now.”

“My hands don't move like they should to form the symbols,” he ran his hand through his thick hair. When Wong glared at him, he sighed and put the ring on, heading over to the group.

I stood there and watched as the instructor spoke, “Mastery of the sling ring is essential to the mystic arts. They allow us to travel throughout the multiverse, all you need to do is focus.” The students held out the hand with the ring, spinning their other hand in a circle creating an orange ring, “Visualize. See the destination in your mind. Look beyond the world in front of you.” Strange created sparks, but not a full circle, “Imagine every detail. The clearer the picture, the quicker and easier the gateway will come.”

The Ancient One walked out onto the patio, and the instructor had everyone stop. She said, “I’d like a moment alone with Mr. Strange.” She glanced at me, but I shook my head. Walking over, she spoke low and angry, “A moment alone.”

“No.”

She stared at me for a minute, taking in my defiant posture. “Fine,” she walked over to Strange.

He stood in front of her, “My hands.”

“It’s not about your hands.”

“Of course it’s about my hands,” he spoke with such conviction that I almost believed him. If I hadn't known the truth, I would have.

The older gentleman from inside stepped forward, pushed up his sleeve, revealing his missing hand. Spinning his arms, he created the orange magic with ease. When he left, the Ancient One turned back to him, “You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current and use its power as your own.”

“I control it by surrendering control, that doesn’t make any sense.”

They continued to talk and I leaned over to Wong who looked exceptionally uncomfortable to be witnessing this exchange, “Sorry. This happened in the movie, I just wanted to see how they interact. After the Ancient… Fuck, I can’t call her that. Does she have a name?”

“No one knows it. She’s been around longer than any of us have been alive,” Wong spoke softly.

“Well, after Stephen comes into his power, and he will, something happens. Don’t worry, I won’t tell any of you what is to come. I know how most people feel about changing their destinies.” I watched as the Ancient One opened a portal and went through it with Strange. After a few seconds, she walked back through without him and started heading our way, “Stephen is exceptional. He is both more and less than every person in this place. I came to see him, to see how he is progressing. It’s just too soon.”

“Too soon for what?” she said, nonchalantly. Then she turned to Wong, “He has time. I just thought he needed a little motivation.”

“I would never question your judgment,” he bowed his head slightly.

Sighing, I tried not to roll my eyes, “Stephen plays a big part in what is to come. I could change his future, tell him what will happen, but he deserves to see his future play out. He asked me specifically to not tell him anything.” I looked past her to the open courtyard, “He makes it back. It will take him longer than you expect, but he does it.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” she nodded. “Mr. Strange…”

“Dr. Strange.”

“Mr. Strange,” her eyes narrowed, “is very powerful. He just needs to find it within himself to overcome his perceived limitations. Because perception…”

“Is reality.” I chuckled, “He’s a man of science, and this is not science. But, I was pulled through a portal to a time and place that was not my own. Only to be thrust through another portal to a different time. I’ve survived things that were only stories where I’m from.” Taking a step toward her, I lowered my voice menacingly, “You should take care how you treat people.”

“As you say,” she turned and walked away from us to stand in the middle of the courtyard. 

After several minutes, both she and Wong started to get visibly nervous that he wouldn’t return. Then a large portal opened and he fell through, shivering. I leaned over to Wong, “I think it’s time for me to return back to New York.”

“You don’t want to see him anymore?” he sounded confused.

I just turned to him, “I would love to spend more time getting to know him. But he needs to figure things out on his own. Now that he knows he’s capable of creating the magic, he will be fine. Actually, he will be better than fine.” I glanced down at my engagement ring and Wong’s eyes followed, “Plus, the others will be home soon. I really don't want them to think something happened to me.”

As we walked out, he asked, “So you found the one who completes you? The chi that is so entangled with yours it’s hard for me to see where yours ends and his begins.”

“Yeah,” my voice went soft as I thought of Bucky. “Will you come to my wedding? I’ll send you an invitation and everything.” Then I had an idea, “Actually, do you think we could do it here? There wouldn’t be a lot of us. And to be honest, it’s so gorgeous here, I know that Bucky would love it.”

“The Ancient One…”

“Maybe it’s not a good idea,” my voice fell as the smile left my face.

He placed a hand on my arm, “I will talk with her. I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t be allowed. Not that we have many weddings here. Actually, we don’t have any weddings here.”

“Wong, I know that we don’t spend that much time together, but you mean a great deal to me, especially after everything you did to help me when I first got here.” I slid my arm through his and we resumed our trek to the door room, “Maybe you can officiate the wedding for us?”

“I guess I’ll have to brush up on my skills,” he laughed and opened the door to the sanctum sanctorum in New York. At the front door, he turned to me, “I’ll ask the Ancient One. I can’t make any promises. But wherever you have the wedding, little one, I will be there. And if you still want me to officiate, I will do that as well.”

“Thanks, Wong,” I gave him a hug. “I’ll get back to you once we’ve determined a date.”

“And I’ll let you know if she allows a wedding at Kamar Taj. But don’t hold your breath, she doesn’t like strangers.”

“Yeah, well. I haven’t brought it up to Bucky either.” Laughing, I opened the door, “For all I know, he wants to get married at the courthouse.”

“I’m sure he will be happy with whatever you want. Just remember, little one, his chi and yours are basically one now. And the smile on your face tells me everything I need to know about him.” He smiled and pushed me out the door into the darkness, “Go, little one. I think you will be surprised once you get home.”

It was close to midnight by the time I arrived back at the Tower. I walked into my apartment, weary from the long day. Before going to Kamar Taj, I had gotten up early doing my normal daily activities. So I was moments away from passing out.  Walking blindly into the kitchen, I got a beer out of the fridge and turned around. When the light switched on in the living room, the beer fell out of my hand, shattering on the ground. Bucky rushed over to me, “Baby girl, are you okay?”

Exhaustion had me bending over in half, laughing hard. He stood there, looking extremely confused. It took me the better part of five minutes to stop laughing, to catch my breath. When I finally stood up straight, I walked over to him and fell into his arms. He rubbed my back and I tightened my arms around him.

“Hey, what’s going on, baby girl?” he spoke softly. “I thought you would have been home hours ago. Honestly, I thought you would be here when we returned.”

I mumbled against his chest, “Went to Tibet. Didn’t think you would be back for a few days.”

“We got done early.” He kissed the top of my head, “And Sokovia is fine. We managed to sneak in without HYDRA knowing what was happening thanks to your warning.” He continued to rub my back, then stopped and pulled back, “You went to Tibet?”

I just started walking to the bedroom, avoiding the glass and beer on the floor, “I’m exhausted Bucky. And Wong has a shortcut in the sanctum.”

In the bedroom, I took off my clothes and climbed into bed naked, sliding under the covers. He came in and stared at me, smiling softly. When I just pulled the blanket higher and snuggled against the pillow, he chuckled and got undressed. Then he climbed under the covers, laying on his back and pulled me against him, “Goodnight, baby girl.”

My eyes closed and I murmured, “I can’t wait to marry you, Mr. Barnes.”

“And I can’t wait to marry you.” As I fell asleep, I heard him say softly, “I love you, baby girl.”


	44. Chapter 44

2015

The next morning, I got dressed and went downstairs. Bucky had shut off my alarm so I had woken late. Falling asleep way later than normal, I appreciated that he knew me well enough to know that I would not want to be up first thing in the morning.

Before doing anything else, I called Tony. He sounded half-asleep when he answered, “H’lo?”

“Mr. Stark, this is Brianna Mayfield,” I had to work to keep the laughter out of my voice.

He groaned, “Another official call? Jeez. Damn, kiddo, I just woke up.”

This time, I let the laughter out, “I’m just pulling your leg, Tony. I was just calling to see if you were up for meeting Peter today. It’s been a week, and I did promise him as soon as you returned…”

I could hear Pepper murmur something to him as he groaned loudly, cutting me off. He sounded irritated, “I wanted to figure out what the hell you were doing with a teenager first. I mean, really? He’s seventeen, a senior in high school. The only interesting thing about him is the fact that he takes pictures for the Daily Bugle.”

Thankful he couldn’t see me, I grinned but managed to keep my voice calm, “You’ll find out when you meet him. Just say you’ll do it. He was really excited to meet you.” And everyone else, I thought to myself.

“Fine. Now I’m going back to sleep. Pepper kept me up late last night,” I heard her say something to him and they both laughed. “Just make it later this afternoon. Maybe four?”

“Of course. Now, get back to your wife.”  After we hung up, I opened the fridge to get out a soda and sent a text to Peter.

**ME: Peter, this is Brianna Mayfield. Mr. Stark has returned from his business trip overseas, he was wondering if you could come to Stark Tower at 4 PM today?**

**_PETER: I have you in my phone, Miss Mayfield. You don’t need to remind me every time you text, LOL._ **

**ME: Sorry, I just remember what I was like at seventeen.**

**_PETER: I can be there at 4. Do I need to bring… you know what?_ **

**ME: Only if you want to. You don’t have to tell anyone about him. I won’t force you. It's completely your decision.**

**_PETER: Thanks. I’ll think about it and decide before I come._ **

**ME: I’ll leave your name at the front desk. They’ll send you up in Mr. Stark’s private elevator.**

**ME: The others will be here too if you want to meet them.**

**_PETER: YES!!!_ **

**ME: Then I will make sure they are available. See you tonight.**

Taking a sip of my soda, I thought about the best way to get everyone together to meet Peter tonight. Instead of going to each person individually, I just started a group text, leaving Tony out of it. I didn’t need him to question why I would be bringing all the Avengers in to meet a teenage boy.

**ME: 4 PM, main floor, I’m buying pizza.**

**_STEVE: No pineapple. Fruit doesn’t belong on pizza._ **

**_NATASHA: As long as I have one with olives, I’m happy._ **

**_RHODEY: HEY, pineapple definitely belongs on pizza. I’m with Bri on this one. Mushrooms and pineapple are delicious, especially once you add them to a cheesy pizza._ **

**ME: I knew I liked you for a reason ;)**

**_BUCKY: I hate texting. Why does no one just call anymore?_ **

**_NATASHA: Old man, this is the way all the cool kids do things nowadays. You just have to get used to it._ **

**_BRUCE: I’m still in Thailand, sorry. You'll have to eat without me._ **

**ME: No worries, Bruce. You do whatever you need to keep the big guy under control.**

**_THOR: Little warrior, what is this about? I know you are not just calling us to the tower for pizza._ **

**_STEVE: Seriously? I trusted you. I'm hurt ;)_ **

**ME: Steve, you're lucky I know you, or I would be offended. Try to remember that sarcasm doesn't translate over text messages.**

**ME: Just all be here before 4 PM. I have someone I want you guys to meet.** **And don’t worry, I’ll have all your favorite pizzas.**

**_CLINT: I’ll be there. No pizza for me though._ **

**ME: Don’t worry, I’ll get the salad for you. I know you prefer rabbit food.**

**_CLINT: I’m too old to eat that many carbs. Some of us aren’t genetically engineered super-soldiers who burn 10,000 calories in a day._ **

**ME: Trust me, I understand.**

I put away my phone, ignoring the dings that continued. I knew from previous experience, that once everyone entered a group chat, it could go on for hours. As long as they were all there in time to meet Peter, that was all I cared about.

Upstairs, I sat on the couch waiting for my fiance to come back home. I laid down, covering myself with the throw blanket, and closed my eyes. Within seconds, I fell asleep.

A hand on my shoulder woke me up. My eyes opened to see Bucky crouched down on the floor in front of me. He reached up, running my hand through his hair, “God, you’re gorgeous.”

“And you, baby girl, are half asleep,” he chuckled. “It’s after three, you might want to order those pizzas soon if they’re going to be ready by four.”

“Fuck,” I sat up quickly. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I thought you would be home sooner.”

“I’m…”

“No, it’s my fault.” I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, “I should have set an alarm.”

He sat down on the couch next to me, “Well, lucky for you, I’ve already placed the order for you. When I got back and you were fast asleep, I went ahead and did it so you wouldn't have to worry about it.”

“What did I do to deserve you?” I leaned against him and he put his arm around my shoulder, “You are too good for me Bucky Barnes.”

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” His fingers trailed up and down my arm, “So, Tibet?”

I chuckled, “I went to see Wong.”

“And…”

“And Dr. Strange.” Laying a hand on his knee, I ran it up his thigh, “Wong said he had made it Kamar Taj and asked if I wanted to meet him. We still have about a year before he’ll be ready to help us with Thanos, but I thought it would be interesting to see his progression. Plus, I met the Ancient One.”

He groaned as my hand moved higher, “Ancient One?”

I removed my hand and moved so I was straddling him, rubbing my hips against him, “She’s not important, other than the fact that she is part of the reason Dr. Strange becomes a hero.” I reached out and laid my hands against his chest, digging my fingers into his pectorals, “Just kiss me, Mr. Barnes.”

One arm went around my waist and the other to the back of my head, pulling me down so he could kiss me hard. I kept rubbing against him as I ran my hands under his shirt so I could lift it up and over his head. Pulling away from his mouth, I leaned down and kissed where the metal met his skin.

Then I stood, stripping off my clothes as quickly as I could. He pushed down his pants, kicking them to the side. Then he crooked his finger at me, “Come here, baby girl.” I moved back over his lap, sitting just high enough above him that he couldn't enter me. His fingers dug into my hips, “Fuck me, Brianna. I want to feel you clenching around me.”

Lowering onto him, I moaned. His teeth bit into my shoulder, just hard enough to leave marks. I didn’t even get a chance to start moving when he started undulating my hips back and forth. “Fuck, Bucky,” I lifted his face so I could kiss him. “God, I love you.”

Picking me up, he moved around to the back of the couch and lifted me off his cock. Turning me around, he bent me over the back of the couch and smacked my ass. When I groaned, he slipped back inside of me and grabbed my hips again, holding me steady. “I’m going to fuck you now, baby girl.”

I looked over my shoulder, “Are you going to talk about it, or do it?”

As he laughed, he smacked my ass again, making sure to use his right hand, not wanting to hurt me, “You push me, baby girl, and I’ll leave you wanting.” He pushed in and out of me slowly, “You’re just lucky that I’ve missed you.”

He started fucking me harder, every stroke hitting the spot deep within me that sent waves of pleasure coursing through my body. It didn’t take long before I came, biting the cushion of the couch to contain my screams. He kept thrusting, fingers gripping me harder. 

I looked over my shoulder, knowing the look on my face would push him over the edge. But just in case, I licked my lips, “Come for me, Bucky.”

He pulled me up, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other hand pressing lightly against his throat. His teeth sank into the flesh between my neck and shoulder, thrusting harder and faster. I started orgasming again as he thrust into me one last time, coming hard.

When he pulled out of me, I turned around and pulled him against me, kissing him softly. “Goddamn, you sure are spry for an old man.”

He laughed against my mouth, “Watch who you’re calling old. I can still beat you at just about everything.”

“You can beat me anytime, Mr. Barnes. You know how I like it.” I kissed him again, “We should get dressed. Our guest is going to arrive soon.”

After getting dressed, I went into the bathroom to fix my hair. I touched the bruise forming in the shape of his teeth on my neck and shook my head. He came in behind me, taking the brush from my hand.

Bucky ran the bristles gently through my hair until it was clear of knots, then set it down so he could braid my hair. For someone with a metal hand, he was surprisingly deft. He had explained once to me that growing up with two sisters had taught him many things. One of those things was braiding hair.

After he finished, he kissed the bruise on the side of my neck, “You know, the others already expect this from us. They won’t blink an eye.” We left the apartment, heading down to the main floor, “Remember that one time, when…”

“When we both ended up with bruises all over our bodies after spending three days in bed.” I laughed, “Tony had to come and find us, thinking we had been kidnapped or something. It took us months for them to stop giving us shit for it.” I laid a hand over my neck, “Our guest is seventeen, Bucky. Impressionable. Naive.”

“Baby girl, he’s seventeen,” he grabbed my hand as we left the elevator. “If he’s not already having sex, he thinks about it constantly. I remember what I was like that age. And I was seventeen in 1934 when that kind of thing was frowned upon.”

“Yeah, yeah. You know, you keep reminding me how old you are. You’re not getting cold feet, are you, Mr. Barnes?”

He turned me and lifted my chin with his fingers, “If my feet were any warmer, Miss Mayfield, they would be on fire.”

A throat cleared and we both looked over, seeing everyone sitting on the couches. Steve grinned, “You guys definitely need to get married sooner rather than later. Maybe then we won't have to watch you guys act like lovesick fools all the time. I don’t know why I ever thought you were rushing things.” He glanced at my neck, “You didn’t think we’d notice?”

Bucky laughed, “Oh, I knew you’d notice.” He emphasized you, “We grew up together, Stevie. I know exactly how much of a horndog you are.”

Tony exited the elevator, pushing a cart with twenty pizzas on it. “Delivery boy, at your service,” he started lifting them onto the kitchen island. “Why is everyone here? And why did you order so many pizzas? I know Peter is seventeen, but he can’t eat all of these.”

My face flushed, “Um…”

Tony sighed, “I thought you bringing in some random kid for a nonexistent internship was strange. Why is he really coming here, kiddo? And don’t try to tell me that…”

The elevator dinged open and Peter walked off, backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked slightly terrified, at least until he saw me. He let out a sigh of relief and walked over to me, “Miss Mayfield…” When my eyes narrowed, he smiled, “Brianna, it’s good to see you again.”

I pulled Tony forward, “Tony, this is Peter Parker. Peter, this is Tony Stark.”

“Mr. Stark,” he held out his hand for Tony to shake. “It’s an honor, sir.”

“Please, call me Tony.” He placed a hand behind Peter’s back, pushing him over to the others, “Come on, kid. Let me introduce to the rest of the team since apparently, that’s what Bri brought you here for.”

“I, uh…” my face flushed even more. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tony.”

His eyes narrowed as he looked at me, “Alright, Peter.” He started pointing out each person, one at a time, “This is Thor Odinson, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, James Rhodes, and the tall scary one with the metal arm is Bucky Barnes.” Tony leaned over, whispering loudly, “Bucky and Brianna are getting married.”

Peter smiled, “It’s nice to meet you all.” He took off his backpack, “I never thought I would actually get to meet all the Avengers.”

“Well, Peter,” Steve stood up. “Come grab a slice, we can talk about this internship that Brianna brought you here for.”

Once Steve had pulled him away from the group, Tony looked at me and said softly, “Why is he here, really?”

“That’s up to him to tell you, not me.” I glanced over to where Peter stood with Steve, eating a slice of pizza, “But he’s…”

“If you say important, I might scream.” When I looked away, he sighed, “Fine. I’ll talk to the kid. But you and me, kiddo, we’re going to have a long talk about secret-keeping sometime soon.”

Before he left, I grabbed his arm, “Tony, I tell you everything. Well, everything important anyway. But this isn’t my secret to tell.”

He nodded and pulled away, walking over to Steve and Peter. When I saw them smiling and laughing, I knew everything would be fine. I turned to Bucky, “I’m going to go back upstairs. I’m not an Avenger, and I already know what Peter is going to say.”

“I’ll come with you,” he said.

“No, you’re an Avenger now. Stay,” I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Besides, I need to check on something that the Ancient One told me.” I walked over near Peter and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m going upstairs. If you boys need me, just have JARVIS call me.”

“Miss May… Brianna, you don’t want to stay?”

I pulled him into a hug so I could whisper in his ear, “You’ll be fine, Peter. If you want me to stay while you tell them, I will. But you also don’t have to tell them, if you don’t want to.”

When I pulled back, he shook his head, “I got this. Besides, you found out. I’d be willing to bet they could find out just as easily. It will just be easier if I just do it.” Peter gave me a soft smile, "I'll be fine. I've got this."

Looking at Tony, I said, “Be nice.” Then I left to head back upstairs and to my apartment.

Once inside, I went over to Winter and Wolf’s resting place. Picking them up, I sat down on the couch, crossing my legs under me. My fingers ran over the handles, feeling the indentations that the Ancient One had pointed out. The indentations made it seem like they slotted together, and it had to be for a specific reason, but when I placed them together nothing happened.

Pulling them apart, I looked at each one. Their names were White Wolf and Winter Soldier, both names for Bucky. Why would ancient Asgardian daggers have the names of someone who hadn’t even been thought of when they were created?

“White Wolf,” I stroked the dagger as it hummed happily. “Winter Soldier,” the other dagger hummed just as happily. “Why do you guys have indentations that slot you together? If only you could talk and tell me so I didn't have to figure it out on my own. And I know Thor won't know because he didn't even know your full names.”

I pressed them against each other, “You know, if I were to name a dagger, I would call it Kindness. Because then I could kill people with kindness.” I laughed at my joke but sobered when nothing happened. “You guys are both names for my fiance. Maybe I need to figure out why you would have the names of my guy. Or maybe,” I held the daggers together in one hand. “Just maybe, because they are one and the same, you are meant to be one as well.”

I turned them over in my hand, looking at how well they fit together, “And if White Wolf and Winter Soldier are the same person, maybe there is a keyword that will get you guys to slot together.” I thought about what could be the word that would get them to fuse. I decided to just try different things, “James… Barnes… James Buchanan Barnes… Sergeant James Barnes.” Nothing seemed to work.

Sighing, I kept them pressed against one another, “I don’t understand. Your names are what Bucky is called. Why doesn’t…” As I said Bucky, the daggers started humming louder, vibrating in my hand. They fused, the energy around the daggers pulsing with magic. As I held the fused item in my hands, I laughed, “Not what I was expecting, not even a little bit.”

“Now, the real question is, how do I get you to separate?” Without having to say anything, the separated back into two blades. I pressed them together again, trying to see if I could get them to combine with only my will. They easily melded back together, seeming happier to be one than two. Then when I thought about it, they separated again.

I must have been upstairs for longer than I thought because the front door opened and Bucky came in. He plopped down on the couch next to me, looking at the daggers in my hands, “Is this what the Ancient One told you about? Your daggers?”

Glancing down at them, I held them apart and looked back up at Bucky, “If I show you something, can you keep it from the others?”

“Of course, baby girl.” He looked almost offended that I would even question him, “You come first, always.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Buck. It’s just that I’m not sure I would be able to keep this from everyone else,” I lifted his hand and placed a kiss to it. “That’s all, I promise.”

“I know,” he reached out and cupped my cheek. “Now, show me this thing that will be so interesting I won’t be able to keep it to myself.”

Laughing, I let go of his hand and picked up the daggers. I slotted them together as Bucky watched. Thinking of what I wanted them to do, I watched as the magic swirled and the daggers combined. Once they were one, I held up the new blade and handed it to Bucky.

He took it, turning it over, looking at it from all angles. “Alright, I see why you don’t want me to tell anyone.” His eyes met mine, “You think this can help against Thanos?”

“Yeah,” I took the blade back and willed them apart. “Daggers are unassuming, easy to conceal. This… this is not so easy to conceal. But I’m hoping it will help against Thanos and his army.”

"Baby girl, if you're the one wielding it, I'm sure it will." His face lit up with glee, "You should have been down there with us. When Peter told us he was Spiderman, Thor handed him Mjolnir. Of course, he had no idea what was going on. So, he just grabbed it from Thor and swung it around. The look on Tony's face..." Bucky laughed, "He wasn't upset when you could wield it, but when the kid did... Let's just say, I was worried he was going to have a heart attack."

"I'm not surprised, he's a good kid. Probably a better person than all of us put together." I put the daggers on the couch and curled up against Bucky, "Plus, he's literally stronger than all of us combined. He's young, but he has heart."

"You lifted Mjolnir too, baby girl. And you're definitely not the strongest member of this team, even with the ring on."

"I still don't understand that, but it doesn't matter." I looked up at him, "So, how do you feel about getting married in Tibet?"


	45. Chapter 45

2015

A hand shook me awake. I turned over to see Bucky sitting on the edge of the bed, a pensive look on his face. “Mornin’, love,” I sat up and kissed him softly.

He frowned, “Fury called a few of us on a mission. We have to leave in fifteen minutes.”

“But, we’re getting married in a few days,” this time I frowned. “Do you really have to go?”

“Fury promised that I would be back with plenty of time.” He leaned down pressed his forehead to mine, “I swear to you, I won’t miss our wedding. If I have to leave the mission in the middle of it, I will be there.”

Reaching up, I cupped his face with both hands and kissed him softly, “Alright, be careful, please. And if you can’t escape getting injured, just don’t die.” I sighed, “I don’t care if you’re battered and bloody, as long as you’re there.”

He smiled, “Don’t worry, baby girl, I’ll be there.”

After he left, I didn’t bother putting on normal clothes, just went down to the main floor wearing my favorite shirt of Bucky’s that came halfway down my thighs. I pulled a soda out of the fridge and walked out onto the balcony. When the frigid December air hit my thighs, I went straight back inside. Natasha stood there, trying not to laugh. I sighed, “Bucky woke me up, I forgot that it was winter.”

“You should go get dressed, Wanda and I are planning on taking you out for your bachelorette party.”

I sank onto the couch, “I’m not in the mood.” Taking a sip of my soda, I curled my legs under myself and stared out the large windows, “Bucky had to go on a mission. I can’t have fun while I’m worried that he…”

Sinking onto the couch next to me, she bumped her shoulder into mine, “He’ll be back, I promise. All the boys are with him, and there is no way that Tony will miss your wedding. Not to mention Steve. He wouldn’t let his best friend get married without him, either of them.”

My eyes narrowed at her tone of voice. It sounded like there was more to her words, “What do you know? And don’t try to lie to me, Nat. I know you.”

Leaning back against the couch, she closed her eyes and rubbed her face, “I can’t tell you. Please don’t make me.”

“Is it an op?” she opened her eyes and glared at me. “I’ll take that as a no. They’re not going to a strip club are they?”

“Would you care if they were?” the way she answered, I knew they weren’t.

“No, I wouldn’t. As long as he comes home to me, I don’t care if he looks. Plus, I’m not worried he’ll find someone else more attractive than me.” I grinned, “The only thing I would be upset about is that he didn’t take me.”

“Really?” her eyebrows raised. “I never would have guessed.”

“You guys don’t know everything about me. And before you ask, no, Bucky doesn’t know either. It’s never come up.”

Someone plopped onto the couch on the other side of me. I looked over and saw Wanda with a grin on her face, “What doesn’t Bucky know?”

“That I’m like a two on the Kinsey scale.” I sighed and looked back at Natasha, “What can you tell me, Nat?”

“I can tell you that it’s nothing bad and that he’ll be back on the 29th in plenty of time to leave with you for Kamar Taj. You guys don’t leave until ten o’clock at night, right?” I nodded and she continued, “He’ll be back by then. I promise.”

“Fine. Now, what’s this about a bachelorette party?”

Wanda put a garment bag in my hand, “Go, take a shower and get dressed. We’re leaving in an hour.”

After doing as she said, I put on the short white dress and heels Wanda had given me. When I went back down to the main floor, I saw them dressed in similar outfits, just in different colors. Natasha in black, Wanda in red. A third woman stood with them, much taller than them both. She had long black hair and wore a short green dress.

I laughed as I walked up to them, “Hey, Loki.”

Natasha held out her hand. Both Wanda and Loki put $20 in her hand. She grinned, “I told you guys she would know.” She looked at me, “Loki didn’t want to go with the boys, but we told him it was girls only today.”

“Where to first?” I gestured at the dress, “It’s first thing in the morning, there is no way we’re going out like this.”

“Oh, I’ve got a full day planned for you,” Natasha slid her arm through mine. “And you don’t get to know any of it.”

 A blindfold slipped over my eyes, “Seriously?” I laughed, “Let’s do this then.”

The first place we went to was the gun range. She took us to the gun range at the New York office of SHIELD, mainly to keep everyone safe. She had promised Bucky that no matter what we did, I would be safe. There was no way I would argue with her about that. Any other time, I would have been upset, but I didn’t want anything to stop me and Bucky from getting married.

After the gun range, we went out for lunch to the same shawarma place we had gone after the battle of New York. They didn’t even bat an eye seeing four gorgeous women show up in fancy cocktail dresses. Actually, they had a table set up for us with a fancy tablecloth and champagne, which they didn’t normally serve. Natasha must have brought it to them before bringing me here. She did say that she had everything planned out.

Then we went to a cigar and whiskey bar. It seemed like something that the boys would have enjoyed more. But having men fall over themselves to try and talk to us was definitely a confidence booster. We ended up staying there until just before dinner, which was at a steakhouse that Bucky and I went to when we planned our date nights. They brought out a slice of cake for us all to share, as well as a black velvet box and a note. The box contained a pair of diamond earrings. When I read the note, I had to wipe at tears that fell down my face.

_ Baby girl, I just wanted to remind you how much I love you. How happy I am to be your husband in a few days. I never thought I would find happiness, especially not after the things I’ve done. But with you, I’m happier than I ever thought possible. Just a few days, baby girl. I can’t wait. Have fun with Nat tonight. Forever yours, Bucky _

Natasha took my hand as I tucked the note into my purse, “We’ve got one more place to go tonight. You feel up for it?”

I put on the earrings, placing the box in my purse as well. I wiped the last of the tears from my face and smiled, “Of course. I’m looking forward to whatever else you have planned.”

As we left the restaurant, Wanda put her arm around my waist, “Loki and I are going to head back to the Tower. This last bit, it’s just for you and Natasha.” She kissed my cheek, “I had fun today. I’m looking forward to meeting this Dr. Strange you’ve told us about.”

“Hey,” Loki said as he transformed back into himself. He wore a black suit with a green shirt, “Remember who you’re with. Just because this Strange has powers, doesn’t mean that…”

She laughed and turned to Loki, kissing him soundly to shut him up. After they left, Natasha pulled me along. She spoke quickly, “So, we have a mission.”

“Wait, what?” I stopped her in the middle of the crosswalk. When a horn honked at us, I let her continue to pull me along. “I don’t do missions. I’m not part of the Avengers.”

“Oh, this isn’t for Fury.” She pushed me into a doorway, stepping close to me so she could speak softly, “I’ve been doing research on the crime bosses in New York. One of them has been dealing with trafficking women. I have it on good authority that they’re going to be looking for new women at the fanciest nightclub in town tonight.”

“And…”

“And we’re going to get caught.”

I laughed, “Did you tell Bucky about this? I can’t imagine that he would be okay with it.”

“Bucky knows you can handle yourself. He trusts you.”

“And Steve?”

“Steve,” she sighed. “He knows we’re going after him, just not how. But Bucky knows everything. I told him the entire plan.” She grabbed my hands, “Steve would just worry, even though he knows you can take care of yourself. If you don’t want to do this, we can just go home.”

“Should I worry about my jewelry?”

“No. If they take us, they will want us to keep our jewelry and dresses. They will want to auction us off quickly, and the prettier we look, the easier that will be for them to do.”

“Well, then,” I left the doorway and started walking to the nightclub. When Natasha caught back up to me, I said, “We’re doing it. Besides, we have something they don’t. We have a world-class assassin spy, and I can call Wolf and Winter to me within seconds. We’re two badass women who can take care of themselves. And if we can stop someone who traffics people, that will make for the best wedding present a girl can have.”

We hurried to the nightclub, getting let in without having to wait in line. The looks that the doorman gave us sent shivers down my spine. I’m guessing that he is in on the plan because there were plenty of other beautiful women in the line and he chose us over them. 

Inside, we left our purses at the coat check. We never carried anything too valuable, simply because of who we were, so if we never got them back it wasn’t that big of a deal. The only thing that worried me was my engagement ring. Although, I did take Bucky's note and tuck it into my bra, just in case.

After a couple of beers, that we made sure to watch as the bartender opened them, we went out to the dance floor, grinding against one another to the beat of the music. Natasha leaned in close, pretending to kiss the side of my neck, “We’ve got a couple of guys coming up behind you. They look like frat boys, but they’re packing. Glocks under their jackets by the way they’re walking.”

I turned around in her arms, grabbing her hands and putting them on my hips. As I leaned back against her, I looked at the two men heading our way. When they noticed me looking, I smiled and crooked my finger at them. Natasha’s fingers tightened on my hips briefly.

One of the guys went in front of me, the other presumably went behind Natasha. When the guy in front of me leaned in to speak, he sounded vaguely Russian, “You are extremely beautiful. My friend and I, we are up in the VIP section.” He brought up my left hand, placing a kiss near my ring, “We would love for you to come to join us. That is, only if your fiance won’t mind.”

I moved my mouth near his ear and made my voice as husky as I could, “This is my last night as a free woman. He’s out having his fun, I’ll have mine.”

The man grabbed my hand, and the four of us went up the stairs to the VIP section. The guy that had been with me, went off and grabbed two drinks for us. Natasha gave me a subtle head nod, indicating that I should drink it. I downed the drink and went up to the guy, pretending to be interested in him. Within seconds, my vision blurred and I fell into his arms.

I woke up in a small room, Natasha and I both lying on a bed. I forced myself to sit up and then felt for my ring. It was still there, as was the rest of my jewelry. Letting out the breath I had been holding, I shook Natasha.

She opened her eyes groggily and looked at her watch, “They didn’t dose us with too much. We’ve only been out for about an hour.”

“My head is killing me,” I rubbed my eyes. “How long do you think we have to wait?”

“Shhh,” she put a finger on my lips.

The door opened and an older gentleman came in. He sat on the edge of the bed, “Ladies, were my boys rough with you?” He reached out and grabbed my chin, twisting my head gently from side to side, “I hope they didn’t injure you. That will make for a most unsatisfactory bidding tonight.”

I wrenched my face away from him. Pretending to not know what was going on, I made my voice quaver, “What do you mean, bidding?”

He stood to walk to the door, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Once he left, I took a deep breath, “Was that him?”

“No, that’s his second in command.” She stood and went over to the door, trying the handle. It moved slightly and she grinned, “They should have locked us in. Their first mistake. Call your daggers.”

I thought of them and they came to my hands. I tried to hand her Wolf, but she shook her head. Sliding off my heels as she did the same, I asked, “What’s the plan?”

“Kill them all,” she grinned. “Then we call Fury for a cleanup. He’s used to me doing this by now, he won’t be surprised that I got you into it as well.” She opened the door slightly and looked out, “We have two guards sitting at a table. There will be at least a few more guards, as well as Victor and his second in command.”

“Let’s go.”

She pushed open the door and stumbled out, moaning with her hand against her mouth, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

The men got up from the table and rushed over to her. The first one that came, she jumped on him and got him in a chokehold. Holding on even when he hit her against the wall. I just held up my daggers, twirling them as the other guy came at me. When he tried to hit me, I ducked and brought up Winter, managing to slice his stomach. He hissed and rushed at me. Instinctively, I brought both daggers up and he impaled himself on the blades. As he slid to the floor, blood gushed out of him and onto my white dress.

I heard the sound of bones breaking and looked up to see Natasha snap the other guy's neck. As she searched their bodies and grabbed their guns, I wiped the blood off the daggers. A few more red stains on my dress wouldn’t matter. I wasn’t going to be able to wear it again anyway.

She put a finger to her lips and moved to a door at the end of the hall. When she got there, she turned to me, “Would you rather have a gun?”

“No, I’m good with Wolf and Winter.” Smiling slightly, I added, “Plus, I haven’t been practicing. Not since I lost the one you gave me.”

Her eyes widened, “That was back when we rescued Bucky.”

I shrugged, “I know.”

Pushing through the door, I held the daggers behind my back in one hand, the other hand pressed to my stomach like I had been hurt. All the blood was going to be good for something. When I saw three more guards, I groaned loudly.

The guy that had come on to me in the bar stood up, looking shocked, “What the fuck?” 

He rushed over to me and I smiled, bringing my daggers around stab him. Wolf went into his stomach, Winter I placed at his throat. Before I sliced it open, I leaned forward, “Should have picked someone else.”

More blood splashed onto me and I heard gunshots ring out. The guy's body fell to the ground, and I saw the other two on the ground. Natasha ran over to them and placed another bullet in each of their heads.

Another door opened, a guard coming out. He raised up the gun and fired at us. Natasha managed to dodge out of the way, but I felt a sharp pain in my side. Since I was already covered in blood, I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell how badly I was injured, so I just pretended to be fine.

Natasha brought up her guns and fired into him several times. She must have run out of bullets because she tossed them to the floor in disgust. Then she grabbed his, popped the clip out and smiled, “Plenty of bullets in this gun.” She shoved it back in the gun, “Come on.”

This time, she led the way. I tried to hide my pain as we walked down the halls, but she could tell something was wrong. Luckily, she didn’t ask. Probably so we wouldn’t be caught before we wanted to be.

Then she stopped and pressed her ear to one of the doors. When she grinned madly, I knew she had found the man she was looking for. She pushed open the door and pointed the gun at the men inside.

I followed her and saw the man who had come to the room, as well as a slightly younger guy sitting behind a desk. That man smiled at us and stood, walking around the desk, “Natalia, it’s so good to see you again.”

She shot behind him, narrowly missing him on purpose, “Victor, don’t take another step.”

“Natalia, you wouldn’t hurt me,” but he stayed where he had stopped. “Is this about Yelena? She came after me, I had no choice.”

When he said Yelena, I saw her tense, “Shut your mouth, Victor, before I shut it for you.”

“Victor, what is this?” the older gentleman asked.

“Not now, Igor.”

I walked up to Natasha and said softly, “Do you know him?”

“Natalia and I go way back, don’t we, my dear?” Victor leaned against the desk, keeping his hands constantly in sight. “All the way back to the red room.”

Igor opened his mouth to say something and Natasha turned, shooting him in the forehead. Then she trained the gun back on Victor, “You killed her. She was my friend.”

“She betrayed you, Natalia. She was going to…”

She shot again, this time missing him by even less, “No. You can’t lie to me.”

I turned to Natasha, “What do you want me to do, Nat?”

She gave me a smile that scared me, “Trade me.” I handed her Wolf and she handed me the gun, which I trained back on Victor. She walked up to him and forced his legs apart. Sliding the dagger in between the shirt buttons, she popped them off one by one then opened the shirt completely.

Then, pressing just hard enough to draw blood, she dragged Wolf down his torso, laughing as he hissed in pain. “This is for Yelena,” she stabbed him in the abdomen. Pulling the dagger out, she shoved it back in several more times. As blood dribbled out of his mouth and he sank to the floor gasping, she crouched down, “You really should have stayed out of my town, Victor.” Then she put the dagger against his throat, slicing it open.

When she started to cry, I went up and took Wolf from her, willing them both to go back to the Tower. I dug through Igor’s pockets, found a cell phone and forced Natasha to stand. Then I sat her on the sofa with me, pulling her into my arms. I dialed a number that I had long since memorized.

A familiar voice answered, “Fury.”

“Nick, it’s Brianna.”

“Mayfield, what’s wrong?” he must have heard Natasha crying.

“Can you track this phone and send a cleanup crew? And an ambulance?” I pressed my free hand to my side and hissed, “I’ve been shot and we’ve got a few dead bodies.”

“Motherfucker, she went after Victor, didn’t she?” He didn’t even wait for me to respond, “We’ve been surveilling him for weeks. We were going to move soon. Fuck!” He paused, “Wait, you’ve been shot?”

“Yeah, so if you could send help…”

“Hold on,” I heard elevator music when he put me on hold. Thirty seconds later, he came back, “Help is ten minutes out. Do you want me to call Barnes or Rogers?”

I sighed, “No. I don’t need a lecture right now.”

“Alright, sit tight. Help is on the way.”

Ten minutes later, SHIELD medical agents came in with bags. One of them went to Natasha, the other to me. She wasn’t injured, so they turned their attention to me. I was made to take off the dress, so I thanked my lucky stars that I had worn underwear under it.

The medic looking at me smiled softly, “It’s just a graze. Will leave a hell of a scar though.” He touched the area, then saw the dagger scar I had gotten when I first met Bucky, “Guess you won’t care about that.”

“Can you just stitch it up so we can go home?”

Several other agents came in and started dealing with the dead bodies. The medic sighed, “Sure thing.” After a few minutes, he had me stitched up and wearing a pair of coveralls. I carried the dress in a plastic bag.

Moving over to Natasha, I crouched in front of her, “Are you okay?”

She sighed, “I’ll be fine. I just… I need Steve.”

“Do you want me to call him? Have him come home?”

“It will take him too long to get back.” She stood and I wrapped my arm around her waist to hold her up, “Besides, they’ll be home soon. I can wait until then.”

Stopping, I turned her so I could look into her eyes, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I should be asking you that. You got shot.” When I glared at her, she forced a smile, “I’m fine. I killed the scumbag I’ve been trying to find for over a decade. I’m doing better than fine. Let’s go home, find Wanda and Loki, and get shitfaced. I’ll make Loki share his Asgardian mead with us.”

An agent handed us our shoes and we went down to a car that waited to drive us home, “Sounds good to me.”


	46. Chapter 46

2015

When we made it to the Tower, I helped Natasha to her and Steve’s apartment. At the door, I turned her so she looked at me, “Take a shower. Get the blood off, relax for a bit. Then we’ll meet downstairs and get roaring drunk. How does that sound?”

She ran a hand through her hair, sighing when she saw blood coating her fingers, “Twenty minutes. You know what, make it thirty. I’m going to scrub myself raw.”

I waited until she went inside and headed to my apartment. Inside, I tossed the bag with my dress on the tile floor of the bathroom, then grabbed my cell phone. I stood there for a couple of minutes looking at the phone, trying to decide if I should do this or not.

Making my decision, I dialed the phone and waited as it rang three times before Bucky answered, “Baby girl, how’s the bachelorette party going?”

“Hey, Buck,” my voice came out soft and pained.

“Fuck, what’s wrong?” He must have pulled the phone away from his face because he sounded quieter, but I still heard him say, “Guys, shut up. It’s Bri.” He came back, “Brianna, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Did you know about the mission?”

He answered, sounding confused, “Yeah, why? Did it not go as planned?”

“Did you know who we were going after?”

“Some guy trafficking women.” He sounded even more concerned, “What happened?” Then he pulled the phone away again, “Come on, Steve. I’ll tell you in a minute. I haven’t even had a chance to ask her yet.”

“Buck, have Steve call Nat. She could really use him right now.”

He said softly, “Steve, go call your girl.”

A familiar voice in the background said, “Buckster, we’re not done yet. You still need to get…”

I heard the sound of fabric rustling against the phone and the sound of muffled talking. Then Bucky came back, “Baby girl, now, tell me what happened.”

“The mission went fairly well.” I winced when I moved and my stitches pulled, “But it wasn’t just a random low-life asshole. His name was Victor, and he knew Nat back during her time when she was being trained by the KGB.”

“Fuck,” he sighed. “Is she alright?”

“She’s upset, which is why I asked Steve to call her.” I sat down on the edge of the bed gingerly, “She didn’t get injured, unlike…” I stopped, realizing what I was about to say.

“How bad?” he asked softly.

“It’s just a graze.”

“You got shot,” he spoke matter of factly. “But you’re okay otherwise?”

“It just hurts a little bit. My own fault,” I pressed a hand to my stomach. “I swear I’m fine otherwise. No other injuries.” Pausing, I smiled, “We got him, though.”

“Baby girl, I’m glad you’re okay. And if you’re waiting for me to yell at you, I’m not going to do that. You are more than capable of handling anything that comes your way.” I could hear the smile in his voice, “Just a couple more days.”

“I know, I can’t wait. Are you still going to be back on time? Shuri sounded worried.”

He sighed, “You heard that?” I made a noise of affirmation and he chuckled, “I’m guessing Nat told you we aren’t actually on a mission. I’m not going to tell you why we’re in Wakanda, it’s a surprise. Just know that I love you more than you can possibly know.”

“I love you too, Bucky.”

“Now, go be a friend to Nat. I’m sure she could use you right about now.”

“We’re going to get wasted, as soon as we both take showers. Then I’ll have almost two days to get over my Asgardian hangover.”

He laughed loudly, “Bring some of the mead with you when we go to Kamar Taj. I think we can find a good use for it.”

“As long as you promise not to let my injury stop us from…”

“Baby girl,” he growled. “If you think I’m going to let a little cut stop us from consummating our marriage, you would be wrong. I plan to spend every waking moment after we get married in bed with you.”

“God, you can’t say things like that to me. Especially when you’re not here.”

“I love you too, baby girl. Now, go be with Nat. Shuri is glaring daggers at me.”

I chuckled, “Tell her hi from me.”

After I hung up, I took a quick shower, being careful around my wound. But I did want to get the blood splatter off my body. After throwing on a large shirt of Bucky’s, I headed downstairs to the main floor.

Wanda and Loki were already down there, a couple of bottles of Asgardian mead sitting on the coffee table. They had set out four glasses, two of which were already in their hands. When Loki saw me, he poured a glass for me, handing it to me as I sat down.

“So, tell us, how did it go?” he smiled, looking happier than I had seen him since I brought him to Stark Tower. “I mean, Wanda and I had fun once we left you…”

She smacked him on the shoulder, exclaiming, “Loki!”

Laughing, I lifted just a small portion of the shirt to show my injury. I wore panties under the shirt, so I wasn’t exposing anything I shouldn’t be. “I got a small graze, nothing too serious. But we got him.”

Wanda leaned over Loki to get a closer look, “That’s not a small graze, Brianna. It looks like it’s at least four inches long.” She sat back up and looked at me, “It must hurt something fierce.”

Taking a large gulp of the mead, I let out a small burp, “I’ve had worse. But once I get enough of this in me, I won’t be feeling anything.”

We sat there for a while, not talking. Just drinking and staring out the window. Then I turned back to Wanda, “How is Pietro? Is he enjoying Sokovia?”

She sighed, “I miss my brother, but he needed to do this. To go home and try to make Sokovia a better place to live.” Leaning against Loki, she held onto him tight, “He’s happy, making a difference in the only way he knows how. But I still miss him.”

“I’m glad that he’s happy. That’s all I want, for everyone to be happy.” Since Natasha wasn’t coming, I poured her a glass of mead and filled up mine as well, “That’s why I came here. To fix things so people could have the ending they deserve, not the one they got.” Standing, I looked at both of them, “I’m really happy you guys found each other.”

I went upstairs, using my foot to knock on the apartment door. Natasha answered, still on the phone. Her hair was wet, so she must have taken a shower. I held up the glass and she took it, smiling slightly, “Love, can I call you back?... Bri’s here, we knew it wouldn’t take long.” She laughed, “I love you too, Steve. Now, get back to Bucky, I’m sure he could use your support too… I’ll be fine. I was just a little upset, that’s all... “ We walked into the apartment, sitting on the couch, “I promise, Steve. I’m fine. It all came back at once. Now I’m hanging up because I’m sure Bri wants to know more… See you in a couple of days.”

As she hung up, I took a sip of the mead and casually said, “I’m already on my second glass, you should try to catch up.”

She took a sip, “What do you want to know?”

“Whatever you want to tell me.” I reached over and grabbed her free hand, “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

Gulping down the rest of her mead, she set the empty glass on the coffee table and turned to me, “Yelena and I grew up together in the red room. We were more than friends, we were sisters. Not by blood, but sisters all the same.” Her hands twisted together, “Victor was a mistake I made. He was the third of our group, we always spent time together, just the three of us. But then Victor and I… well, I’m sure you can guess what happened.”

I finished the mead and placed the glass down. Then I scooted closer to Natasha, pulling her into my arms, “I can guess.” I ran my hand down her hair, trying to keep her calm, “Why did Victor kill her?”

She sighed, “Yelena and I lived together after we graduated from the red room, becoming the assassins they trained us to be. I came home and found her, naked on the bed, throat slit. She had been investigating Victor, but wouldn’t tell me why. I confronted him, he said he didn’t have a choice.” She pulled away and stood, grabbed the glasses to take to the kitchen area, “I thought I loved him, but he did the one thing I couldn’t forgive. I told him to get out of town, that if I ever saw him again I would kill him. He managed to hide for years, but when he came to New York, I knew what had to be done. I just couldn’t do it alone.”

I stood as well, walking over and pulling her into my arms. She resisted, but eventually allowed me to comfort her, “He’s gone now, Nat. You did it.”

“I know,” this time when she pulled away, she seemed happier. “Did Bucky tell you about his surprise?” I shook my head, “Well, I’m not going to ruin it. Steve told me that everything is going well, so you don’t need to worry.” Natasha led me to the apartment door, “Now, go to sleep. It’s late, Bucky will be home tomorrow night. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Go ahead and call your boy back, I know he must be worried.”

“He’s more worried about the fallout from Fury than either of us. He just doesn’t want Fury to be able to use this against me.”

Before I left, I grabbed her shoulders and gave her a serious look, “If Fury even tries, all of us will stand with you. You know that, right?”

She smiled, “I know, Bri. Now, I’m going to call Steve back and you’re going to go to sleep. There’s a package on your bed from me, it’s for you and Bucky. Just… don’t open it until you get to Tibet.”


	47. Chapter 47

2015

The next day, I was packing up the last of our stuff for the days Bucky and I would be at Kamar Taj when a hand touched my back. I jumped and spun around. Seeing Bucky, I leaped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

The cut on my stomach twinged, but I ignored it as I peppered kisses all over his face. He laughed as he held me against him, “Baby girl, I take it you missed me?”

“Not even a little bit,” I said cheekily before kissing his mouth softly. “God, I love you.”

He set me back down on the ground softly, both of his hands coming to my face to hold it steady, “I love you, baby girl.” His eyes looked past me to the bed, “You finished packing?”

“My dress and your suit are in garment bags in the closet, everything else is in the bag.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something, “Buck, why is your arm a different color?”

He laughed and took off his jacket, showing me his arm, “This is one of my surprises. Tony and I have been discussing replacing my arm for a while now. Shuri just figured out how we could do it safely, and I wanted to do it before I changed my mind.”

I ran my fingers over it, “Is it lighter than your old one?”

His eyebrows shot up, “Why do you ask that?”

“Um, Tony may have told me, right before I told him about his parents. Said that you guys talked about how heavy your old one was.”

“I’m not upset, baby girl. But yes, it is a lot lighter. And Shuri added in a feature that she thought you might like.” He turned his wrist over and lifted a panel, pressing some buttons. When he closed the panel, his arm changed color until it looked like a normal arm.

I reached out, running my hand over it, “Well, it will certainly make going out in public easier. It feels like skin too.”

“You don’t seem excited,” he frowned.

“I’m sorry, love. Your new arm is awesome. But if I’m being honest, I like your metal arm. It’s what makes you… you.” As I spoke, he lifted the panel and pressed buttons. When it closed, his arm turned back to the darker metal, “If you like it better as skin, then leave it that way.” I reached up and cupped his face, “Bucky, I love you just as you are. With or without a metal arm, you are the love of my life. As long as you are happy, I am happy.”

He shrugged, “I’m used to having a metal arm. Honestly, she had to convince me to allow her to put in that feature. I think she thought it would be what you wanted. But you are right about one thing, it will make going out in public easier. We can hide in plain sight if need be.” He smiled and ran a finger down my cheek, “The only people who will know about that feature will be our friends. That way, if we ever need to go on the run, they won’t be able to use my metal arm as a way to track us.” 

"And what is the other surprise? Or are you going to make me wait?"

He chuckled, "I should make you wait just to watch you squirm." Kissing me softly, he said quietly, "Shuri removed the code words from my consciousness. They tried them in Wakanda after, just to make sure it worked, and it did."

"Really?" my voice rose. "They can't get to you again?" I pulled him into a tight hug, "Wow, this is the best surprise. I'm glad you didn't tell me ahead of time."

"Now, that is the response I thought I would get for the arm. And I didn't tell you about Shuri's plan, because I didn't know if it would work."  Grabbing the bag off the bed, he went over to the closet and grabbed the garment bags, “Now, should we head to the sanctum sanctorum. I’m sure that Wong is waiting for us.”

The streets of New York were quiet. Even if it was late at night, usually there were more people out and about. It might have something to do with how cold it was, late December was always the coldest part of the year.

When we arrived at the sanctum, Wong waited inside, “Brianna.” He came over and gave me a hug, then turned to Bucky, “And you must be Mr. Barnes.” He looked him up and down, “You have a very strong chi, Mr. Barnes. I see why Brianna chose you.”

“It’s just Bucky,” he said as Wong took the garment bags from him.

“Well, Bucky, Brianna, please follow me.”

We headed through the sanctum, upstairs, and to the door that would lead us straight to Kamar Taj. When Wong opened the door and we stepped through, I watched Bucky’s face. The awe I saw as he looked everywhere made me smile. It was much the look I except he had on his face when Stark showed off the flying car at the expo before he shipped out for Italy.

Once we were through the library, Wong took us upstairs and to one of the open rooms. He led us inside and it was my turn to be awed. They had turned it into a paradise. Candles and wildflowers covered every surface. They had even set up a gauzy tent-like structure around the bed, tying it into four corners to create a faux four-poster bed.

“Wong, this is beautiful,” I said as Bucky and he set the bags down. “You didn’t have to do all of this for us.”

“Oh, I didn’t do it.” He grinned, “Stephen might have remembered you giving him hope when he had none. When he found out that you were getting married here, well, he couldn’t let you just stay in any old room. He wanted to make it special.”

“Oh,” I said softly. “Where is he?”

“He’ll be outside on the patio after lunch with the other practitioners. He makes sure to keep up with his training, if for no other reason than to show the new recruits what is possible. Lunch is in a couple of hours if you want to join us.”

Bucky placed a hand on my back, “We ate before coming. I know it’s morning here, but it’s night time in New York.” He yawned, “I think we would like to take a nap before meeting Dr. Strange.”

Wong gave him a look, but nodded, “I’ll leave you to it.”

After he left, Bucky hung the garment bags in the closet, then stalked over to me. “Now, baby girl, I believe I haven’t gotten to spend any real time with you in days.” He pulled me against him and I could feel him grow hard, “I’ve been thinking about being inside of you since you called me after…”

Pausing, he pulled back, “First things first. I want to see this wound.” He lifted my shirt over my head, fingers trailing over my skin. Stepping me back, he pushed me onto the bed, forcing me to lie back. He straddled my hips, fingers tracing over my skin. They stopped near the wound, pressing slightly, “How much does it hurt?”

“Right now?” I shrugged and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down on top of me, “Not at all.” I kissed him hard and turned so he was underneath me. As we kissed, I ground my hips against him, moaning. 

I climbed off the bed and went over to the bag. Pulling out the bag from Natasha, I reached in and grabbed the negligee that she had given me. I had looked in the bag the same night she gave it to me, not able to wait. Stripping off my clothes, I pulled the tiny lacy slip of fabric over my head and strutted back over to the bed  as he pulled off his shirt. I reached down and undid his pants, pulling them off. Then I climbed back on top of him, grinding my hips against him again. Fingers gripped my hips tight, holding me in place. He lifted me up and I grabbed his cock, lining it up with my entrance.

"That is beautiful, baby girl." He lowered me slowly, filling me up slowly. He groaned, “Fucking hell.”

"You'll have to thank Nat," I fell forward and he lifted my hips up high enough so he could thrust his hips up. Every time his cock thrust into my body, I moaned louder and louder. “Bucky,” I kissed him hard. 

When I tried to thrust myself down in time with his upward movements, he stopped and flipped us over, placing himself on top of me. He grabbed my legs and held them wide, “Baby girl, I want to hear you scream.” He thrust into me hard, “Can you do that?”

I nodded and he started to move, faster and harder. I could feel the orgasm building inside of me and I pulled Bucky’s face down to mine. I held him down as he continued to plunge in and out of me, “Come with me, Bucky.” He started fucking me harder, leaning his face down to kiss me. It didn’t take long until I screamed into his mouth, coming hard. His hips started to stutter and he pulled his face away from mine, groaning loudly and he came inside me.

Falling on top of me, he pressed his face against my shoulder and groaned. I ran my hands up and down his back. After a couple of minutes, he rolled to the side and we lay there, staring at the ceiling. His fingers intertwined with mine, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I rolled over, wrapping my arm around his waist. “Now, we should take a nap before going to find Stephen. I don’t know about you, but I could use some sleep.”

  
A couple of hours later, we woke up and got dressed. We went and spoke with Strange, thanking him for setting up the room for us. I didn’t tell him anything about his future, just as he had asked me not to. But we spoke at length about his training and the upcoming battle with Thanos.

Strange promised to be there when we went to defeat Thanos. Saying that the rest of the order would stand with us as well, reiterating what Wong had told us. After meeting with him, we went off and explored the area around Kamar Taj. We were told to make sure we wore our jackets, as Tibet was cold in the winter. The area around Kamar Taj was protected by magic, making it much warmer than the city surrounding it.

We walked around the city for hours. Taking in the atmosphere of Tibet. Bucky had been here for HYDRA, so he knew his way around. He took me to all the places that tourists would never go, showed me things that only the locals knew about. He even purchased me a mala that had been blessed by Buddhist monks.

Our nap hadn’t been long enough to do more than give us a burst of energy, so we ended up going to bed early. Neither Bucky nor myself were big believers in superstition, and we would rather wake up next to one another every morning we could, then partake in ancient traditions that meant nothing. However, he still hadn’t seen my wedding dress, wanting to be surprised.

I woke to a knock at the door. A quick glance at my phone showed it was already afternoon. I extricated myself from Bucky’s arms, put on a shirt, and went over to the door. Opening it, I saw Thor standing there, wearing his ceremonial garb.

He pulled me into a hug, “Little one, it is the day of your wedding. What are you doing still asleep?”

As he set me down, I looked back and saw Bucky sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, “Can you give me five minutes to put on some clothes? I want to discuss something with you.”

“This is supposed to be a happy, work-free day,” Thor said. “Can this discussion wait?”

“No, it’s important.” I turned back to him, “Besides, it will only take a few minutes, and also, I can show you around Kamar Taj at the same time.”

He took a step back from the door, “I’ll wait here for you.”

I shut the door and went inside, quickly putting on some clothes. Then I went over to the bed, leaning over to give Bucky a quick kiss, “I’m going to talk with Thor, won’t take more than a few minutes.”

He pulled me onto the bed and I squealed with laughter, “Baby girl, you’re already leaving me for another man.” One hand went to his chest, right over his heart, and he pouted, “I’m hurt.”

“You’re lucky I love you, Barnes.” I kissed him lightly again, “Now, Thor is waiting for me. Why don’t you get your stuff together? That way when Steve shows up you can do your guy stuff before we tie the knot.”

As I climbed off the bed, he smacked my ass lightly, “Too bad we can’t spend all day in bed.”

“We have the rest of our lives, baby girl. And like I said, we’re going to spend the next week in bed,” he laid back down, lifting one arm above his head.

My eyes drifted down to his stomach, and he flexed the muscles, showing off his stomach. I groaned, “Not fair.”

“I never said I would play fair.”

Taking a few steps back, I turned away from him, “I need to talk to Thor. It’s about the safety of his people.”

Arms encircled me from behind, and he placed a soft kiss to my neck, “I know, baby girl. You go talk with Thor. I’ll be waiting for you on the patio in a few hours.”

I left the room and glared at Thor. He had a smirk on his face, indicating that he knew what had happened in the room. He pushed away from the wall, “Are you sure you want to leave your fiance? We can discuss this later.”

Walking down the hall, I didn’t wait to see if he followed me. I walked out onto the patio, standing at the railing with my arms on the rail, looking out at the city. Thor walked up beside me, resting his forearms on the rail as well. I sighed, “Have you spoken with Frigga or Odin about Hela?”

“I tried,” he sounded irritated. “My father is still in Odinsleep, and my mother… my mother refuses to speak of it. Telling me that I know not of what I speak. She denied any knowledge of Hela, claiming I was making up stories to cause strife. I know no more of Hela than I did when you first spoke of her.”

“There is a mural in the throne room. Under it, is a mural of Odin and Hela, conquering the nine realms.” I sighed, “They were unstoppable. She was his weapon in the conquest that built Asgard's empire. One by one, the realms fell. But then, her ambition outgrew Odin’s and he banished her to Hel. She wielded Mjolnir before you did.”

“I cannot believe that.”

“Speaking of Hela is not why I asked you to talk with me,” I reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “When you think of Asgard, is it the place or the people? Wait, before you answer, let me ask something else as well. If your people were no longer on Asgard, would you still consider it home?”

He stared out at Tibet, taking several minutes to ponder my questions. Then he turned to me, “One day, I will be king of Asgard. Hopefully, my father will wake up and I won’t have to assume the mantle for many years.” Sighing, he continued, “Asgard is my home, but my people are more important than a place.”

“You need to evacuate Asgard.”

“What?” he looked at me, shocked. “Why?”

“Your father won’t last much longer, Thor.” I grabbed his hand in mine, “When he dies… when he passes into Valhalla, Hela will be released. She will attempt to take over Asgard. Many of your people will die if they are left there.”

“Where would I evacuate them to? Why would they leave their home?”

“Thor, there are always choices. But your people will follow you. They trust you to do what is best for them.” I reached up and cupped his cheek, trying to offer comfort, “There are places on Earth that would make them feel at home. Places where the old gods were once worshiped. I’ve discussed this with Tony, and there is a fishing village in Norway that they are willing to give to your people. It is a very small village, and the people who live there wish to stay, but they are more than willing to help your people resettle. Help them rebuild a life on Earth.”

“Do they really need to leave Asgard?”

I turned to look back over the city, not wanting to see the look of desperation on Thor’s face, “It may not happen the way I saw. But so far, very few things are actually different between the movies in my universe and the major events that have happened here.” I reached out blindly, grabbing his hand again, “Thor, she is stronger than you, stronger than Loki. When she gets to Asgard, she grows even stronger because that is the base of her power.”

“There is one chance to defeat her, but it requires the destruction of Asgard. It requires Ragnarok to begin.” I turned to him. Seeing only curiosity in his gaze, I continued, “The fire demon, Surtur. You need to defeat him, bringing his skull to Asgard. Once Hela is there, it needs to be placed into the eternal flame which will bring him back. Hela can’t defeat him. When Asgard is destroyed, she will be as well.”

“When it comes time to…”

“I will be there, if you want. I can’t speak for the rest of the Avengers, but I would be willing to bet that if asked, they would be there as well. United we stand, Thor. But Hela is strong. The only way to defeat her is to give her what she wants. Asgard.”

“It can wait until tomorrow. Today is for you,” he gave me a quick hug. “Now, it’s time for you to get ready. But before you go, I just wanted to warn you that there is a surprise coming.”

“Surprise?”

“Yes, little one,” Thor chuckled. “It should be here in a couple of hours. When it arrives, I will have it sent to your room.”

“Thanks, Thor,” I gave him a longer hug. “You are a good friend.”

Back in the room, I unzipped the garment bag. The dress inside a white floor-length sheath. Tony had wanted me to get the most expensive dress possible, but when I had seen this one, I had fallen in love with it. It had long sleeves and was shoulderless, cutting across the top of my torso. It clung to my body like a second skin, but the lace hid any imperfections. The skirt was loose enough that I could walk and dance, just brushing against the floor.

I put the dress on and was brushing my hair when there was a knock on the door. Looking at the clock, I saw that there was a little more than an hour until the ceremony. I went back to braiding my hair, “Come in.”

The door opened and Carol walked in, “Brianna, it’s good to see you.”

“Carol, I didn’t think you’d make it.” I put a hair tie in and stood up, walking over and giving her a hug, “I’m so glad you could come.”

A small voice spoke, sounding happy, “I am Groot.”

Looking behind her, I saw Groot standing there, about the size of a toddler. “Groot,” I smiled and crouched down on the floor, holding my arms out. He rushed over and gave me a big hug. I stood, holding him in my arms. I looked at Carol, “You brought me Groot. Are the others here?”

She shook her head, “I ran into the others while they were looking for Nebula. They found her, so you don’t have to worry about her accidentally getting captured by Thanos. When I told them about your wedding, Groot got excited and wouldn’t stop talking.” Chuckling, she watched as Groot clung to me, “Rocket told me to take him, otherwise he would screw up their mission. So, here we are.”

I walked over to my luggage and got out an envelope, “Well, I’m glad that you came. This is for you. It’s another mission if you feel up for it.” Before I let her take it, I pulled it back, “You don’t have to, but it’s a sort of rescue operation. She will need convincing to leave, but I think you can do it.”

She took the envelope, sticking it in her pocket, “Will she be useful against Thanos?”

“She is strong, brave, a hero. I wouldn't wish this war on anyone, but she deserves better than what fate has given her.”

Nodding, she smiled softly, “Then I will take care of it.”

“I am Groot?” he sounded confused.

“No, Groot, you have to go back to Rocket,” Carol said softly.

He sounded sad, “I am Groot.”

“I’m sorry, buddy.” I hugged him tighter against me, “Carol’s mission requires stealth, and that will be easier if it is just her. Besides, I bet Rocket misses you.” He leaned against me and I ran my hand down his back, “But I’m really glad you’re here, Groot. This is the best surprise ever.”

“I am Groot?” he asked hesitantly.

I kissed the top of his head and set him down, “Yes, buddy. Now, go with Carol. I have to finish getting ready.”

They left and I put on my shoes, then sat on the bed. There were only minutes left before the ceremony. I waited for the nerves to set in, but they never came. I had always dreamed of my wedding day, from the time I was a small child. But before coming to his reality, I thought I would be terrified, getting married to someone with a steady normal job who would provide me with a normal stable life.

Instead, I got Bucky. A man who is perfect for me in every way. In a world that wasn’t my own, but I made mine. Everything different from what I imagined, it felt right in a way that nothing else could. I stood and walked to the door. When I opened it, Tony stood there in his suit, hand up to knock. 

I hugged him tight, “Hey, Tony.”

“Hey, kiddo,” he took a couple of steps back and let out a whistle. “Looking good, Bucky won’t know what hit him.”

Slipping my arm through his, we started walking toward the patio. At the door, before we headed out, Tony stopped, “I’m proud of you, Bri. But if you’ve changed your mind...”

I narrowed my eyes and smacked his arm, “You know I haven’t.”

He laughed, “I know. Just wanted to make sure.”

“Tony,” I said softly. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life. I never thought I would find this, find a love like this.” I held up my hand, showing him it was rock steady, “I’m not even a little bit nervous. I’m happy, Tony.”

“I’m glad,” he grabbed my arm and opened the door. “Time to go meet your husband.”

He walked me out onto the patio and I saw all my friends, the family that I’d made since coming to this reality. Wong stood at the front, with Bucky next to him. He wore the grey pinstripe suit I had liked so much, still no tie. 

His eyes lit up when he saw me coming down the aisle, and I could almost see the tears in his eyes. Tony led me up to the front, pressing a kiss to my cheek before placing my hand into Bucky’s. He went to his seat, and I reached up and wiped a tear that fell down Bucky's cheek, then pulled his face down to kiss him softly.

Wong cleared his throat and we separated, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the love of James Buchanan Barnes and Brianna Eleanor Mayfield. You have come here today to share in this commitment now they make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow Bucky and Brianna to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them.”

Wong’s eyes met each of ours, and my hand tightened on Bucky’s, “Bucky and Brianna, marriage is a promise between two people who love each other, who trust that love, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories, their joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life.”

“A strong marriage also nurtures each of you as separate individuals and allows you to maintain your unique identity and grow in your own way through the years ahead. It is a safe haven for each of you to become your best self.” Wong smiled, “You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other but also the companionship and blessing of deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and love. It takes more than love to make this relationship work.”

“It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.” Gesturing, he indicated that we should move closer to one another, “Bucky and Brianna, please join hands, look at one another and remember this moment in time.”

We faced one another, hands clasped together. As I stared into Bucky’s eyes, I felt myself starting to tear up, but so was Bucky. He squeezed my hands and said softly, “I love you.” I mouthed the words back to him.

Wong said, “Bucky, do you take Brianna to be your wife?”

“I do,” he said it strong, with no hesitation or reservation.

Turning to me, Wong smiled softly, “Brianna, do you take Bucky to be your husband?”

“More than anything, I do,” I said it softly to hide the quaver in my voice.

Wong turned back to Bucky, “Bucky, please repeat after me. Brianna…”

“Brianna, I take you as you are, loving who you are. I promise from this day forward, to be grateful for our love and our life, to be generous with my time, my energy and my affection. To be patient with you and with myself. To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter. To inspire you to grow as an individual, to love you completely. These things I pledge to you.”

When Wong turned to me, I repeated the words that he spoke, “Bucky, I take you as you are, loving who you are. I promise from this day forward, to be grateful for our love and our life, to be generous with my time, my energy and my affection. To be patient with you and with myself. To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter. To inspire you to grow as an individual, to love you completely. These things I pledge to you.”

Wong held out his hand to Steve, who stood up and handed him a box with our wedding rings. Wong opened the box and handed Bucky’s to me, and mine to Bucky, “Your wedding ring is a symbol of your promise to one another. The ring, an unbroken, never-ending circle, is a symbol of committed, unending love. Bucky, as you place this ring on Brianna’s finger, repeat these words after me: This…”

Bucky slid the ring onto my left hand until it met with my engagement ring, “This ring symbolizes my love for you and the commitments we make today.”

Then I took Bucky’s and grabbed his right hand as we had planned, sliding the ring onto his finger, “This ring symbolizes my love for you and the commitments we make today.”

“Bucky and Brianna, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and friends, have declared your love and commitment to each other,” Wong said, sounded a little choked up. “You have given and received a ring as a symbol of your promises. By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share your first kiss as husband and wife.”

Bucky reached up, cupping the side of my face. He lowered his lips to mine, kissing me gently but thoroughly. When we broke apart, everyone started cheering. As we turned to face our friends, Wong said, “I now present to you the newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.”


	48. Chapter 48

2016

Standing off the stage, I watched Tony from behind the curtain. His mother sat behind a piano singing, “Try to remember that kind of September, when grass was green…” His father came in, lifting the blanket off Tony’s head. His mother said, “Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father.”

His father buttoned his coat, “Who’s the homeless person on the couch?”

A young Tony, wearing a Santa hat stood up, chuckling, “This is why I love coming home for Christmas… right before you leave town.”

“Be nice, dear,” his mother said. “He’s been studying abroad.”

“Really?” his father sounded intrigued. “Which broad? What’s her name?” He took the Santa hat off Tony’s head, “Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday.”

“Okay, so it’s Monday. That is good to know, I will plan my toga party accordingly.” He turned away from his father, putting his hands in his pockets, “Where are you going?”

“Your father’s flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway.”

“We might have to make a quick little stop…”

Tony interrupted, “At the Pentagon, right?” He leaned over his mother, “Don’t worry, you’re going to love the holiday menu at the commissary.”

“You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential,” his father pointed at him. “If that’s true, you’ll be a great man someday.” He started to leave the room, “I’ll get the bags.”

His mother sighed, “He does miss you when you’re not here.” She stood from the piano bench, “And frankly, you’re going to miss us. Because this is the last time we’re all going to be together.” She put her purse over her shoulder, “You know what’s about to happen. Say something. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

Tony turned back to his father who had just walked in the room, “I love you, dad. And I know you did the best you could.”

His mother kissed his cheek and you could see adult Tony standing in the back of the room. He looked up, “That’s how I wished it happened.” He started to walk forward, Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to clear traumatic memories.”

He blew on the holographic candle, making the flame disappear, “It doesn’t change the fact that they never made it to the airport, or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but…” He took off the glasses, holding them up to show the audience, “Plus, $611 million for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in their right mind would have ever funded it.” The lights on the stage turned brighter and he walked closer to the edge, “Help me, what’s the MIT mission statement?”

The audience started talking with him, “To generate, disseminate, and preserve knowledge.” He held his hands to the side, “And… work with others to bring it to bear on the world’s great challenges.”

As he talked, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I moved deeper backstage. Answering, I whispered into the phone, “Hello?”

“Baby girl, how close are you guys to being done?” Bucky sounded agitated.

I kept my voice low, “What happened?”

“The mission didn’t go so well. Wanda… she tried to contain an explosion, but when she lifted it into the air it destroyed part of the building. People died.” He sighed, “They weren’t going for the target we thought, they went for the infectious disease building. Rumlow tried to take a biological weapon, but we got it back.”

“God, please tell me you guys at least got him?”

“He was the explosion.” He spoke softly, “If Wanda hadn’t contained it, Steve would have died.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.”

I saw Tony walk toward me with a grin on his face. When he saw mine, his smile fell, “Kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“We need to get home. Wanda needs us.” I sighed, “We’ll be home as soon as we can, Bucky. Tell her it’s not her fault.”

“We’re on our way home now. We’ll probably get there about the same time you do.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby girl. Now, I gotta go. Nat is glaring at me from the plane, waiting for me to board.”

We hung up and I turned to Tony, “Wanda tried to contain an explosion, but it didn’t work out so well.”

“Let’s go.”

We made it back to the new Avengers facility that Tony had been building over the last year. It had been a surprise for all of us, but it was a lot better than living in Stark Tower. It had lots of grass, space for the bridge to Asgard to touch down, running paths, and much more. Tony had even moved my walk-in safe to the new building, so I didn’t have to worry about the infinity stones.

I saw everyone standing around the giant kitchen, except for Wanda. I walked over to Bucky, wrapping my arms around his waist, “Where is she?”

“She’s in her room,” Steve answered. He sounded depressed, “She saved my life.”

Giving Bucky a kiss, I walked over to Steve and grabbed his hand, “Come on, let’s go talk to her.”

Walking down the hall to her room, we walked in as the television played, “Eleven Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred.”

T’Chaka started talking, “Our people’s blood was spilled on foreign soil. Not only by the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent… is no victory at all.”

The reporter continued, “What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeria?”

Steve turned off the television and we walked in. Loki and Thor were in Asgard, getting their people ready to emigrate to Earth, so she didn’t even have his support. She said softly, “It’s my fault.”

“That’s not true,” Steve said.

I walked over to the bed, sitting down next to her and put my arm around her back, “You stopped Steve and many others from dying.”

“That’s not what they’re saying on television,” she didn’t look at me.

Steve started walking in, “I should have clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it. Rumlow started talking about what they did to Bucky, and I lost my head.” He sat down on the other side of her, “And people died. It’s on me.”

“It’s on both of us.”

“No, this is no one's fault,” I said emphatically. They both turned to look at me, “What would have happened if they got that biological weapon? More casualties. They would have used it against cities, killing hundreds, if not thousands.” Sighing, I tried to put every ounce of my belief in them into my voice, “If you hadn’t of been there, it would have ended up being worse. Were mistakes made? Possibly. But this job, it’s about saving as many people as you can. Sometimes, that doesn’t mean everybody.”

“But if we can’t find a way to live with that, then next time,” Steve sighed, “maybe nobody gets saved.”

“I still…” Wanda started.

I stood and stared down at her and Steve, “This WAS not either of your faults. If anyone is at fault, it's me.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “How the hell is this your fault?”

“I should have remembered this happened in the movie. If I had,” I shrugged. “Maybe the outcome could have been different.”

“You can’t fix everything,” Wanda said softly.

I smiled down at her, “My point exactly. You did your best, both of you did. You saved lives. Yes, some were lost, but more would have been lost if you had done nothing.”

“I’m still not sure that I couldn’t have done more,” she stood and gave me a hug. “But you guys are right, all we can do is our best.”

Bucky popped his head in, “Sorry to interrupt, but we have a guest.”

“Who is it?” Steve asked.

“The Secretary of State.”

“Fuck,” I said softly. “This isn’t good.” All three gave me a look, “Don’t let him get to you. He’s coming to try and get you guys to sign an agreement saying you’ll only act when given permission.”

“Well, let’s go and talk to him,” Bucky grabbed my hand. “I am interested to see if he is as much a blowhard in real life as he is on television.”

We all went into the large conference room, taking our seats around a long table. The Secretary of State stood at the front of the room, “Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I’m dropped, right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because, after thirteen hours of surgery and the triple bypass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me. Perspective.”

I looked at each of the faces of the people I knew. Tony, Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Wanda, Rhodey, Sam… Bruce was at another monastery, trying to keep his anger in check. Clint was with his family again.

He continued, “The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives, but while a great many people see you as heroes. There are some who prefer the word vigilantes.”

Natasha asked, “What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?”

“How about dangerous?” he looked at Natasha. “What would you call a group of US-based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind.”

“Mr. Secretary,” I stood, pushing my chair in. Walking around the table, I touched each of my friend's shoulders, trying to give them my strength, “What would you have us do? Ignore the crises that pop up? Should we have allowed them to get the biological weapon? Because I can guarantee you, Mr. Secretary, if Rumlow had gotten that weapon, we would be facing more deaths than those that died in Lagos.”

“I’m sorry, you are?” he sounded annoyed.

“Brianna Barnes,” I stopped at the head of the table, looking directly into his eyes. “They operate outside of what you would call ‘the law’ because that is the only way that they can. If you don’t want heroes... if you would rather let horrible things happen…” I sighed and turned back to face my friends and held out a hand, “These people are good, honorable. They risk their lives, constantly, to stop catastrophes from destroying Earth. Who else could have stopped the aliens from taking over the world? Who else could fight an alien armada and win?”

He turned to the television and pressed play. A video of the battle of New York started to play, “New York… Washington DC,” the video switched to the three helicarriers crashing down to the ground. Then it switched to the most recent mission, “Lagos.”

I grabbed the remote out of his hand and shut the television off, “That’s enough.”

“Brianna,” Tony said softly.

“No, Tony.” I turned back to the Secretary, and started ticking off my fingers, “New York would have been worse if they had done nothing. They didn’t create the problem, that was SHIELD. SHIELD had the Tesseract, which is why Loki came for it. And Loki only came for it because of…” I stopped myself before I mentioned Thanos. Then I held up another finger, “Washington DC, that is also on SHIELD. HYDRA had infiltrated their organization all the way to the top. Alexander Pierce was a member. If they hadn’t of crashed those ships, the guns on board would have killed millions.”

“That’s enough, Ms. Barnes,” he said, voice low and menacing.

“It’s Mrs. Barnes, and I’m not done.” I set the remote on the table and took a step closer to him, my hands balling into fists, “Lagos could have been much worse. If Rumlow had gotten the weapon, more people would have died. If Wanda hadn’t of moved his body, not only would Steve be dead, but so would many others that were in the market. It was not a small explosion. And if they hadn’t of been there at all… Maybe no one would have died that day, but more would have died later.”

“Sit down, Mrs. Barnes,” his spoke softly.

A hand touched my back and Bucky said, “Sit down, baby girl. Let him finish.”

I went back to my seat and the Secretary continued, “For the past four years, you’ve operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That’s an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution.” His lackey handed him a thick bound stack of paper, “The Lagos Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they’ll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary.”

Steve spoke up, “The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we’ve done that.”

“Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?” Steve looked up at him, “If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you can bet there’d be consequences.”

“You arrogant little shit,” my voice came out low and dangerous. I pushed back from the table, standing and leaning my hands on the edge, “How long have you been pushing for this? The Lagos Accords? That just happened. And comparing Thor and Bruce to nuclear weapons… it is not even close to being the same thing. You are just trying to…”

“Kiddo, stop,” Tony stood from his chair in the corner. “Mr. Secretary, we’ll take this under advisement and read through your proposal. But don’t expect any of us to sign this willingly.” He grinned, “And quite frankly, sir, if you can’t get us to sign it willingly, you can’t force us.”

“Three days from now, the UN meets to ratify the accords,” he started walking out of the room. “Talk it over, but don’t take too long.”

“And if we come to a decision you don’t like?” Natasha asked.

“Then you retire.”

When they were gone, we moved to the living room, taking seats on the large couches that were in there. Rhodey and Sam stood over to the side, Rhodey yelling at Sam, “Secretary Ross has a congressional medal of honor. That’s one more than you have.”

“So, let’s say we agree to this thing. How long is it going to be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?” Sam said, sounding even more irritated than I felt.

“117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you’re just like no, it’s cool…”

“How long are you gonna play both sides?”

I stood and yelled, “Everybody, shut the fuck up.” They quieted down, “Rhodey, I get that you’re military and you think the chain of command is the most important thing. But this will hamstring us. It will stop us from being able to do any good.”

“Brianna,” he started to say.

“No, I said shut up,” I glared at him. “If we have to wait around for them to tell us that it is acceptable to act, people will die. Do you want that on your conscience? I sure don’t.” I turned to everyone else, “What about Thanos? Are we going to be forced to tell the panel about him? Be forced to turn over the infinity stones to a panel of corrupt government officials? I would rather die than have that happen.” I turned back to Rhodey and walked over to him, poking him in the chest, “I gave up my world to come here and make things right. I've gotten more from coming here than I ever dreamed possible, but still... Falling in love isn't why I came. I came to save this world." I pointed at the document in Steve's hands, "This… this right here, it broke up the Avengers. Half decided to sign, half decided not to.”

I sighed and went back to the couch by Bucky so I could curl against his side. My voice came out calmer, “Rhodey, if you want to sign that’s fine. Go ahead. You’re just a normal human who has a suit that can fly. What about Steve, Bucky, Wanda, Thor, Bruce, Loki…? Should we allow governments to be able to control their actions? Since when did you guys become slaves?”

“That’s not fair,” he said.

“Yes, it is. The UN panel will start with telling you guys when you can act. Then, they’ll change it to doing what they want. Eventually, you guys will be mercenaries instead of heroes.” I looked at him, trying to not walk over and punch him in the face, “The reason you guys are heroes is that you do what is best for the world. Do you save everyone? No. But you can’t save everyone, that’s what makes it so hard. But you save more than you lose.”

“If we can’t accept limitations, we’re no better than the bad guys,” Tony said from the kitchen.

“Limitations are fine, having someone control our actions is not,” Steve said. “If we sign this, we’re surrendering our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there’s somewhere we need to go and they don’t let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

“We’ve made some very public mistakes,” Natasha interjected. “We need to win their trust back.”

Standing, I balled my hands into fists, “No.”

“What do you mean, no?” Tony said.

“If any of you sign this, it will cripple us.” I looked at him, “Am I the only one that cares about stopping Thanos? Am I the only one that cares about the safety of this world?” I sighed, “Go ahead, sign it. All of you, sign it. Show them that you’ll be good little boys and girls and do what they say. But I refuse to be a party to this. If you sign those papers, I’m leaving. I’ll figure out how to stop Thanos on my own.”

“Bri,” Tony walked toward me, stopping when I glared at him. “This could be good for…”

“No, it’s not.” My voice softened, “One of the things that Strange told me when he sent me here, was that I needed to keep the Avengers together. That’s why I told you about your parent's deaths, that’s why I’m telling you we can’t sign this.”

“I’m not signing it,” Bucky stood and walked over to me, placing a hand on my back. “I agree with Brianna. And even if I didn’t, I stand with her. Always.”

“Those people I killed,” Wanda sounded like she was going to cry. “I deserve to have someone calling the shots. Someone telling me what I can and can't do.”

Walking over to her, I crouched down so I could look into her eyes, “Wanda, you are a good person. You’re not at fault for Lagos. Steve’s not at fault for Lagos. I’m not at fault for Lagos. It happened, but we saved more lives than were lost.”

“I just…”

“If you really think it will make you feel better, then sign.” I squeezed her hand, “But Wanda, giving up control of your life is not the same thing as forgiving yourself. I need you to believe in yourself. To believe that you can make a difference.” I stood back up, “Every single person in this room is better than they believe, even you Rhodey. We can’t sign the accords.”

Steve looked down at his phone, “I need to go.”

He stood up and started to walk past me. I grabbed his arm, “Take Nat with you.” I pulled him into a hug and whispered, “I know that Peggy was a friend, Steve. Go say your goodbyes, I’ll convince them that signing is a bad thing.”

Steve nodded and they left. Tony sank onto the couch, “Do you really think this is for the best, kiddo?”

“I know it is.” I looked at each one of them, “You guys are heroes. Steve was right when he said they could send us places we don’t want to go or stop us from going places we need to go. What if they had stopped us from going to Lagos?”

“Then the people in the building would still be alive,” Wanda said softly.

“Yes, but Rumlow would have a biological weapon,” Sam said. “I’ve seen what those kinds of weapons can do, it’s not pretty.”

“Alright, we’ll go to the UN meeting in Vienna in three days.” Tony sounded resigned, “We’ll explain why we can’t sign the accords. Hopefully, they won’t try to arrest us the second we disagree with them.”

“We’ll make it work, Tony, I promise.”


	49. Chapter 49

2016

I grabbed Bucky’s hand before walking into the UN council room. The others were already there, but I had been too nervous to go in right away. He smiled down at me, “Ready, baby girl?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I pushed open the door and we walked in. When I saw Steve standing off to the side with Natasha, I let go of Bucky, “Go talk to your friend. He needs you.”

T’Challa stood, staring down through the large glass windows at the street. I walked over to him. His head turned to look at me, “Brianna, it’s good to see you again.”

“You too, T’Challa.”

“I’m assuming that the reason all the Avengers are here is because of you. Thank you,” he gave me a soft smile.

My attention turned back to the street, hoping that since Bucky had been with us for years, that the van wouldn’t be there. I didn’t see anything, so I said, “You won’t like the reason we’re here.” Looking back at him, I placed my hands behind my back so he wouldn’t see them shake, “We’re not signing the accords. I’m sorry that your people died, but we can’t let fear dictate our ability to people.”

“Brianna,” he said softly.

“No, T’Challa. You can’t convince me that this is a good thing.” I took a step closer so my voice wouldn’t carry, “Did you and your dad forget about Thanos? What do you want us to do about him? Tell the council and hope that they believe me when I say I know the future.”

“Brianna, if you would let me finish.” He chuckled, “I agree with you. My father does not. But the accords, they are not because of us. I believe your government is the one who initiated them after New York. It was Lagos that finally convinced the rest of the UN that the Avengers were a threat.”

“If Wanda hadn’t stopped the…”

He laid a hand on my arm, “I know.” He looked over at the others, “I’m going to go talk to Steve, offer my condolences.” 

Before he left, his father walked up, “Mrs. Barnes.”

“King T’Chaka,” I started to say. When his eyes narrowed, I started again, “T’Chaka, please allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria.”

T’Challa laid a hand on my back briefly, before leaving to go and talk with the others. T’Chaka smiled, “You were not there, Brianna, you have nothing to apologize for.” His eyes followed his son, “I’m glad that you all could come to the council meeting today. It is good that everyone has decided to partake. I know it must seem…”

“I’m sorry, sir,” I interrupted him. “That’s not why we are here. The loss of your people hurts my heart, but more lives would have been lost if they had not been there.”

“If they had not been there, the police would have stopped the robbers.”

I laughed, “Do you honestly believe that?” I sobered when I saw the determination in his eyes, “You truly do. Do you also believe that we should leave the fate of the universe up to the UN council as well? Should I stand before them, telling them about Thanos and the fate that awaits them if we do nothing?”

“The council will do the right thing.”

I walked over to the window, staring down at the street again. The van still wasn’t there. “The council will do the right thing,” I scoffed. “What about when they don’t do the right thing? If there is a crisis and the Avengers could stop it, but they are too afraid of what could potentially happen?” I looked over at T’Chaka, “What about when the council starts telling the Avengers to go places they don’t agree with? What then?”

“That will not happen.” His smile reminded me of a parent, placating his child for their wrong thinking, “The UN council is made up of good people. People who believe in doing the right thing.”

I sighed, “There is a saying in Latin. Si vis pacem, para bellum. It means…”

“If you want peace, prepare for war.”

“Yes,” I saw a news van stop outside on the street and my stomach twisted into knots. “If the Avengers had not been in Lagos, your people would be alive. And for that, I am truly sorry.” I turned toward him, “But, if they had not stopped Rumlow, there would be a biological weapon out there that could cause untold casualties. No one feels the weight of those souls lost more than the Avengers.”

People started to sit down. T’Chaka turned to me, “You should join the rest of your team.”

“Do you remember when I told you about your brother?” I asked softly. He nodded and I pointed down at the street, “That news van is not a news van. It contains a bomb.”

T’Chaka chuckled, “Your wild theories will not stop this council from ratifying the Lagos Accords, Brianna.” He sobered, “I’m sorry that you and the rest of the Avengers do not understand the need for checks and balances. But you should. Your country was founded on that principle. It’s why you have three branches to your government. Each one balances the other.”

“And your’s is a monarchy. One man deciding the fate of his entire country.”

“We have a council that…”

“Offers up advice. But in the end, you make the decisions.” I couldn’t keep the sadness out of my voice, “How would you like it, T’Chaka, if someone came to your country and said they were going to monitor your every move? That they would decide if you were allowed to do something or not? That they believed they knew what was better for your country than you?”

“That is not the same.”

“Not exactly, but it has some similarities.” I looked over to where T’Challa stood about fifteen feet from the podium, “I’m going to stand with your son. That way if I’m right about the bomb, maybe we can stop any more deaths from happening.”

I walked over to my friends and tried to smile. But by the looks of concern on their faces, I could tell that I failed. Looking at Steve, I asked, “Can I hold your shield?”

“Why?”

“Please?” I pleaded with him to not ask questions. “I can’t explain. I know you would believe me, but there are ears everywhere and I don’t want to cause a panic for something that may not happen.”

“Baby girl,” Bucky sounded worried. As Steve handed me his shield, he stood and cupped my cheek, “What are you doing?”

I wrapped my arms around my husband and whispered, “I’m trying to save T’Chaka’s life.”

Then I hurried over to where T’Challa stood, taking a position closer to the podium. I figured the closer I could get without causing alarm, the easier it would be to protect him. T’Challa moved over to me, so we now stood less than ten feet from his father, “What are you doing, Brianna?”

I nodded over my shoulder, “Do you see that van?”

“The one with the doors open?” he asked as T’Chaka started to speak.

As his father talked, I looked over and saw police looking inside the van, “Fuck.” Looking at T’Challa, I said, “Run.” Then I ran over to T’Chaka, placing the shield between us and the window just as an explosion shot glass and fire into the room.

The explosion knocked us forward, but the shield protected the vital parts of our body from shrapnel. I laid on top of him, both of us moaning in pain. I felt blood dripping down the back of my legs, pain radiating throughout my entire body. My eyes met T’Chaka’s and I saw that he was still alive.

I pushed myself off him as T’Challa ran over, “Are you alright, sir?”

As T’Chaka pushed himself up, his son held out a hand to him. We all stood and I swayed. An arm wrapped around me and I knew it was Bucky. T’Chaka gave me an appraising look, “Brianna, you saved my life.”

“I tried to warn you,” I shrugged. “The video will show that Bucky did this. But as you can see, he’s been here the entire time.”

“Baby girl, who’s behind this?”

The shield was taken from my grasp, and an irritated Steve asked, “Yes, who is behind this?” Then his voice softened, “You could have just told us, Bri. Then you wouldn’t be hurt right now.”

“It’s just a few scratches, Steve.” I looked down at my legs and saw tiny rivulets of blood coursing down my flesh, “Okay, maybe not scratches. But the important thing is that no one died.” I leaned against Bucky, trying to take some of the weight off my legs, “It was Helmut Zemo.”

“Fucking hell,” Bucky muttered. “Steve, we need to stop him.”

“I’m grateful that you saved my life, Brianna,” T’Chaka said. “We are still going to ratify the Lagos Accords. Your actions will not change that.” He directed his next words at Steve and Bucky, “I would suggest that you let the police handle this matter. There are cameras outside that will have caught the perpetrator. If it is as Brianna says, this Helmut Zemo, then he will be apprehended and dealt with under the law.”

“You still don’t understand.” I pulled away from Bucky and hobbled closer, ignoring the pain in my legs, “King T’Chaka, I understand that you and your country have hidden away from politics and the rest of the world for a very long time. I can sympathize with why you would want to do that. But we don’t have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand.”

I sighed, “If you want peace, prepare for war. The most effective means to ensure peace for a people is always to be armed and ready to defend oneself. The Avengers don’t start wars, T’Chaka. They don’t go looking for trouble, no matter what Secretary Ross might think.” I smiled slightly, then turned away, “Do what you think is right, King T’Chaka. Just as we must do what we think is right.”

I didn’t wait for a response, I just walked away. Once I was outside of the room, I leaned against the wall and waited for the others to join me. It took several minutes, but they slowly started trickling out. Bucky and Steve came over to me, the others continuing to leave.

Steve placed a hand on my shoulder, “Bri, Bucky and I are going to stop Zemo. None of us are going to sign the Accords. I don’t know what will happen, but we stand together.”

“We stand united, baby girl,” Bucky grabbed my hand.

A voice said from behind us, “Yes.” We all turned to see T’Challa. He nodded, “My father is not perfect. But he is doing what he thinks is the right thing. On this, we disagree. I am here to offer whatever help I can.”

“No offense, T’Challa,” Steve said. “But how are you going to help?”

T’Challa chuckled, “You’ll find out soon enough.” He looked at me, “Brianna, I’m sorry that my father is so stubborn. But still, thank you for saving his life.”

“That’s all any of us are trying to do, save as many people as possible.”

“We need to get going, Zemo has a head start,” Steve said softly.

I kissed my fiancé, “Go. Stop him.” Backing up, I said to the three men before me, “In the movie, he was found in Russia. At the facility where Bucky…” I stopped and looked over at him, “At the facility where the Winter Soldier was created.”

“Then that is where we’ll go,” he said. Bucky pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me, “We’ll be fine, baby girl. We won’t be alone, all of us are going to work together to stop him.”

“I…”

“No, baby girl. I know you could handle yourself, but…”

“That’s not what I was going to say.” I cupped his cheek, “Thor is coming soon and I promised I would be there to help him and Loki resettle his people. Just be safe.”


	50. Chapter 50

2016

Stepping through the portal that Wong created for me, I saw a large starship parked on a grassy plain. People came and went, carrying large bags. When I saw Thor carrying a basket full of stuff, I ran over to him.

He saw me, dropping the basket on the floor as I leaped into his arms. Thor twirled me around, “Little one, Brianna, you made it.” He set me down and picked the basket back up, “How long do we have you for?”

We walked away from the starship, toward the town. Large canvas tents had been set up in another field, giving the Asgardians a place to live until new dwellings could be built for them. As he pushed open a flap on one of the tents, I said, “As long as you need me. I’m here to help with whatever you need.”

Setting down the basket, Thor turned to me, grabbing my upper arms, “Because of you, my people were able to pack up what they needed to come to Earth. We were able to take the time to gather our most precious artifacts, to gather our history, before traveling here. If Hela had shown up, we would have needed to run.”

“You give me too much credit,” I pulled away from him and went to the flap. “Now, I’m going to help carry stuff off the ship. Unless there is something you would rather I do.”

“No. Right now, that would be the most useful.” As I pushed open the flap to his tent, he added, “Thank you, Brianna.”

The rest of the day was spent moving back and forth, between the ship and the tents. It helped take my mind off the mission that the guys were on. It was physical, hard labor. By the time I did it for several hours, I was drenched in sweat and aching all over. But at the same time, it felt fantastic.

My training had fallen by the wayside over the last several months. It probably had something to do with the fact that Bucky and I rarely leave our apartment. Or perhaps, it was that I didn’t feel the need to be constantly on guard anymore. Whatever the reason, working hard made my muscles burn in a way they hadn’t in a long time.

By the time night fell, we had finished unloading the ship. One of Frigga’s ladies-in-waiting had taken me to a tent. A large tub sat in the middle, filled with steaming hot water. She knelt on the ground and started taking off my shoes. I hesitated before saying, “You don't need to do this. I can…”

“Nonsense, mistress.” The girl looked up at me and smiled, “Prince Thor has asked that I make sure you are well taken care of. Queen Frigga stayed with the Allfather, but she sent most of her ladies to Midgard for our safety.” She stood up and started removing my clothes, “I have no one left to take care of, so please, allow me to do this for you.”

I nodded as she removed the last of my clothing, then led me over to the tub. She took my hand and helped me. As I sunk into the warmth, I groaned. She picked up a cloth and some soap, rubbing them together. Then she took the cloth and started rubbing it along my arms. I sighed happily, “What is your name?”

“Astrid, mistress.”

“Please, call me Brianna.” She finished washing the one arm and grabbed the other, “I’m not anyone important, just an ordinary girl.”

She moved down to my legs, “Mistress, I cannot. I understand it is your wish, but I was raised to serve. Now, please lean forward.”

I did as she asked, groaning as she washed my back. It took another twenty minutes or so, but I was completely clean. Astrid helped me out of the tub, wrapping me in a large cloth. Sitting me down, she brushed and braided my hair, wrapping it around the back of my head. Then, she dressed me in typical Asgardian fashion. A dress very much like typical the ancient Greeks wore.

As I stood, I said, “Thank you, Astrid.”

“'Tis nothing, mistress.” Her face flushed, “I’m here whenever you need me.”

One of the buildings that had been built prior to the Asgardians arrival. A large room that would serve as the throne room and great hall for meetings. I entered the building, stopping to admire the work that had been done. It was nowhere near as grand as the palace on Asgard, but it still held a beauty of its own.  The giant wooden structure was held up by massive beams of wood, carved from the largest trees Earth had. A giant wooden throne sat at the back of the building, carvings covered nearly every inch of it as well as the giant beams. It must have taken artisans weeks to carve the Norse symbols.

People gathered inside, talking to one another as musicians played. I wandered over to the buffet, putting some food onto a plate. As I moved through the crowd, I marveled at how similar Asgardians were to my people. They laughed and joked with one another. Some danced, others ate. But they all looked happy. Even after leaving their home, they managed to smile and enjoy themselves.

I saw Thor talking with Loki and headed over their way. When I got closer, they both saw me and smiled. Loki put an arm around me, “Wanda told me how you helped her.”

“I didn’t do much. Besides, she did nothing wrong.”

“Still,” he squeezed me, then dropped his arm. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen her. I must stay here for a while and help my people get settled. Do you think she would be willing to visit me here?”

“You should ask her. I’m sure she could use the distraction.”

“I’ll go and call her right now,” he gave me a hug.

After he left, I looked at Thor, “You know, you should find someone. I know that Jane hurt you, but you shouldn’t keep yourself locked away forever.”

“My people need me. But do not fret little one, I’m not keeping myself locked away. Jane is a lovely woman, but we did not work out.” He leaned closer to me, “There is this one woman, from Asgard, that I’ve had my eye on for a while now. But with everything going on, we have not had much time together. Once New Asgard has been settled, and she has agreed, I’ll introduce her to everyone. You have my word.”

“Good,” I smiled. “I just want all my friends to be happy, that’s all.”

“I know, little one.” His gaze moved over my shoulder, a look of confusion crossed his eyes, “Why is Carol here?”

Turning, I saw Carol standing with another woman with dark curly hair. My grin widened as I took his hand, “Come on, let’s go say hi.”

I dragged Thor through the crowd of people, toward the two women. When we got near, I dropped his hand and headed for Carol. I didn’t even stop to think, just gave her a tight hug, “You did it.”

She pushed me back, smiling, “Brianna, this is Val.” She grabbed the woman’s hand, “Val, this is the woman I told you about, Brianna Mayfield.” She caught my soft chuckle, “Sorry, Brianna Barnes. I’ve been away so long, it’s hard to remember your married. Speaking of marriage, where is your dashing husband.”

Val frowned at the question, but I chose to ignore it, “Bucky is off on a mission with the guys. They’re investigating an explosion.”

“Explosion?” Thor exclaimed. “Why did you tell me about this? I should call them, see if they need help.”

Before he could leave, I grabbed his arm, “They’re chasing one guy, Thor. They already have too many men as it is. Besides, your people need you.”

Thor turned his attention to Val, “I know you.”

“I’m not sure you do,” she shook her head, trying to hide behind Carol.

His gaze traveled up and down her, purely in confusion. When he saw the tattoo on her forearm, I could see him realize who she was, “You’re a Valkyrie. You know, I wanted to be a Valkyrie when I was younger. At least, until I found out that you were all women. There’s nothing wrong with women of course. I love women. Sometimes a little too much. Not in a creepy way, just…”

“Thor,” I interrupted. He looked down at me, embarrassed, “Why don’t you go get Val and Carol something to drink? I’m sure they could use it.” After he left, I turned back to them, “So Val, are you happy to be off Sakaar?”

The rest of the night passed easily. Carol and Val kept glancing at one another, smiling. After a while, Val told us the story of how she became a Valkyrie. How she ended up on Sakaar and earned the respect of the Grandmaster. When Thor and Val got to talking, they realized how much they actually had in common. The stories of fighting and adventures, they had been there at the same time, fighting beside one another.

One of the smaller tents had been set up for me to stay the night in. As I got undressed and climbed into bed, my phone rang, “Hello?”

“Baby girl,” Bucky sounded happy, and maybe a little bit drunk. “How’s it going?”

“We got everything taken off the ship. There was a party, Carol came.”

“Tell her about Zemo,” Steve said, his voice clear.

“I’m on speaker, aren’t I?” I said, sighing.

Several people laughed loudly. Tony spoke up, “Of course, kiddo. How else are we going to tell you how we saved the day and caught the bad guy?”

“How much have you guys had to drink?”

Laughter again. Steve said, “You might want to see if Thor has more mead. We might be out.”

“Well, it’s a good thing they brought plants with them as well, so they can continue making the mead.” I sighed, “I take it you guys caught Zemo.”

“In Russia,” Bucky said. “SHIELD has him now, so he won’t be able to harm anyone anymore.”

“You should have seen his face when he tried to use the trigger words on Bucky,” Steve said happily. “Bucky pretended to change to the Winter Soldier…”

Tony finished, “Then he walked up to Zemo and punched him in the face, knocking him out.”

“I wish I could have seen it.” I yawned and pulled the covers up to my chin, “Can I talk to my husband alone?”

The other voices disappeared and Bucky spoke, “What’s up, baby girl?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice.” I curled against the pillow and closed my eyes, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh,” his voice rose. “What about?”

My eyes opened and I stared at the top of the tent, wishing he were here with me, “It’s funny, before coming to this reality, I never thought I would meet someone and fall in love. But then I met you.”

“Baby girl.”

“Let me finish.” I felt myself smiling, “I never thought I would have all those things. I wasn’t the most sociable of people back in my world. I didn't date or go out. So when I found you, I found all those things I hadn’t dared to dream about. But there is one thing that I truly never wanted, at least until I met you.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’m not sure you’ll…”

“Baby girl, you don’t know unless you ask.” I could hear the smile in his voice, “Now, no one else is around, they gave me some space so I could talk with you. I’ll never be angry with you for anything you say to me.”

I took a deep breath, “Have you ever thought about children?”

“I like children. I was the oldest of four, helping my father raise them after my mother died. But it’s been many years since I was around anyone that young.” He paused, “But I don’t think that’s what you mean.”

“Do you want…” I couldn’t finish the question. Just the thought of him saying no scared me.

“Are you asking if I want children, baby girl?” He chuckled, “To be honest, I’ve never really considered it. But if it’s with you, I would love to have one. Are you saying that you’re…”

“No,” I said quickly. “God, no. But I would like to be. One day.”

“When you get back, we can start trying for one, if you want,” he spoke seriously.

I smiled, “Really?”

“Yes, baby girl. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll start trying.”


	51. Chapter 51

2017

Thor handed me a map, “Heimdall has contacted me. My father…” He paused, taking a deep breath, “My father has passed. Hela showed up and has taken my mother hostage, as well as the few of my people who remained behind. Heimdall is the only one who is out of her grasp.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“No,” he shook his head, then went over to the fridge to get out a drink. “From what you’ve told me about her, she is more powerful than the rest of us combined. How are we meant to defeat her?”

“You’re not.”

“I know, Surtur will come back to life and destroy Asgard, which is why we moved everyone here.” He gestured his head toward the dining table, “I brought it with me.”

Walking over to the table, I ran my fingers over the large skull. It felt different from what I had expected. More like lava after it had cooled, versus bone. “Let’s go round everyone up. Bruce is back from his annual visit to the monastery. He should come, we’ll need help with Fenrir.”

“Fenrir?”

“Giant fuck-off wolf.”

An hour later, we all sat in the conference room. I was memorizing the map Thor had given me that would lead me to the eternal flame. Thor was telling the guys about the plan as I studied, “Tony, you and Brianna are going to take Surtur’s skull to the flame.”

“I don’t get to fight?” Tony sounded almost disappointed.

“Once we are in Asgard, Hela will know. Most likely, we won’t make it to the palace before she attacks. You need to carry Brianna and the skull into the palace, and the best way to do that is flying below the bridge.”

“If it’s to keep Bri safe, I’ll do it.”

“And what’s our role?” Steve asked.

“You, Bucky, Loki, Bruce, and I are going to fight Hela and her wolf.”

Bucky’s eyes widened, “Wolf?”

Setting the map down, I sighed, “Yeah, she has a giant wolf for a pet. Think a wolf the size of a dinosaur. His name is Fenrir. Bruce... Hulk can take care of him.”

Bruce raised a hand, “Umm, the green guy and I have an understanding. He doesn’t come out, and I don’t get rid of him for good. Putting me in that situation… not a good idea.”

"You can do it, Bruce. The meditation, the monasteries... it's been leading up to this. Being able to call him at a moments notice." I walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm, "Being at peace with him, that is how you get stronger. I know you can do this."

A familiar face walked into the room, interrupting us, “If you fools think you are leaving me here, you are crazier than I thought.” Val smiled as she ran her fingers over her long sword, “Asgard was my home too.”

“Welcome to the team, kid,” Tony said. “Hopefully, this isn’t a suicide mission.”

I stood, folding the map up and putting it in my pocket, “In the movie, you guys won. I know we can do this, and survive.”

“Movie?” Val asked.

“I will explain later,” Thor said.

Everyone suited up, getting their weapons ready. Wolf and Winter were in their sheaths on my waist, Surtur’s skull strapped to my back. We walked down the pathway to a large open area, unmarred by anything. It was a large circular area that Tony had put in, specifically for the bridge to Asgard to touch down. But since Thor had been working to move his people to Earth, there had been no need to use the bridge.

As we all stood around, Thor held up his hammer, “Heimdall, we’re ready.”

The bridge came down, light and color surrounded us. We soared quickly through the air. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. Something I never got used to, no matter how many times I had visited Asgard. When we arrived on the golden platform, Heimdall stood there with his giant sword. 

He looked at all of us, smiling, “It is good to see so many willing to stand against Hela.” He turned to Val, “Brunnhilde, it is especially good to see you.” He sheathed his sword on his back and walked over to her. Grabbing her by the upper arms, he smiled down at her, “It has been too long.”

“It’s just Val now, Heimdall,” she said quietly. “I haven’t been that girl in a long time. I’m simply Valkyrie.”

“You are more than your designation, Brunn… Val.” Heimdall turned back to us, “Hela is in the palace. Thor, your mother, she stood up to Hela. She didn’t…”

“It’s alright, Heimdall.” Thor spun his hammer, “My mother knew what could happen. She would not want us to grieve her loss, but to avenge her.” He turned to face us all, “It is time. Little one, take Surtur’s skull to the eternal flame. Loki and Heimdall will go to rescue the remainder of our people. The rest of us… we will keep Hela and Fenrir busy until Surtur is reborn.”

Heimdall turned to me, “Ahh, you must Brianna. I have heard much about you. Do you know where the flame lies?” I nodded, “Good.”

“Once Surtur is reborn, we will not have much time to escape Asgard. Everyone will need to get back to this spot as quick as they can.” Thor looked at Heimdall, “Have any of the guards turned to her side?”

“There are a couple, but nothing Loki and I cannot handle.”

“Good.”

We separated. Heimdall and Loki ran down the bridge, moving as quickly as they could. Once they had neared the entrance to the palace, Thor nodded to us, “It is time. We are going to attempt to get Hela out here, keep her away from the palace. Give you time to get to the flame.”

Tony picked me up and we flew. He dropped down by the water, the breeze kicking water droplets onto my face. When we got about halfway down the bridge, we heard Thor yell, “HELA!”

Once we got to the palace, we went up to the balcony that led to Thor’s old quarters. Tony dropped me off, then hovered in the air. His face mask retreated, “Kiddo, I’m going to see if the guys need help while you head inside.”

I touched his armored arm briefly, “I’ll be fine. Go kick some ass.”

Tony smiled, touching two fingers to the top of his head in a salute, “See you in a little while.”

He left and I headed inside the room. Most of the personal items were gone, but I still couldn’t help but look around and imagine what it would have been like if Thor still lived here. I heard a loud howl and knew I couldn’t wait much longer.

I didn’t run, but I moved quickly. Out into the hallway, down a set of wide stairs to the main level. At the bottom of the stairs, I hesitated, waiting to see if anyone else was around. After several long seconds, I started heading toward the throne room. The stairs that would take me down to the treasure room.

This time, I didn’t pause to admire the artwork on the walls. But inside the throne room, I stopped. Plaster and color covered the floor. Looking up, I saw the image of Hela and Odin, displayed in all its glory. She must have been quite angered when she found that the Asgardians had disappeared. In addition to the mural, the statues and other artwork in the throne room had been destroyed as well.

Another loud howl and I hurried to the stairs that would lead me down. I picked up the pace, running down the spiral staircase, slowing only when I reached the bottom. At the back of a long corridor, I could see the orange flame glowing from inside the bowl. As I walked toward it, I unhood Surtur’s skull from my back and threw the ropes onto the ground.

I stood in front of the flame, holding the skull above it. I hesitated briefly. The idea of destroying Thor’s homeworld, even if it was for the good of his people. But that brief moment passed quickly. I set the skull into the flame, speaking the same words Loki had, “With the eternal flame. You are reborn.”

I waited momentarily, making sure it worked. The flames spike and the skull started to move. I ran. Up the stairs to the throne room, down the hall, and out the double doors that led to the bridge. As I ran out, I saw the guys and Hela fighting. I ran toward them and I saw Thor look at me.

Then, his eyes moved to the top of the palace and I heard an explosion. Luckily, Fenrir was nowhere to be seen. But I saw Hulk fighting with the others, so I knew Bruce had won. A  booming voice came from behind me, “Kneel before me Asgard. I am your reckoning.”

I didn’t wait to watch Surtur destroying Asgard, I simply ran down the bridge. Hela was already moving toward him, on black crystals that grew out of the ground, carrying her toward him. When I reached the others, we all started running. Thor yelled, “Heimdall and the others, I saw a small ship heading toward the portal. We need to hurry.”

Explosions and fighting could be heard from behind us, but we didn’t stop. We simply ran. Heimdall had gathered the few remaining survivors, there were less than ten of them, all huddled around each other. Once we reached the portal, that was when we turned to look. Hela and Surtur fought, neither one being able to really hurt the other.

Surtur laughed and boomed, “I am Asgard’s doom.”

“It’s time to go,” Steve said softly. “We need to get everyone back before the portal no longer works.”

“He is right,” Heimdall said, placing a hand on Thor’s shoulder. “Asgard is not a place, it is where our people stand.” He walked over to the dais, sticking his sword inside, “Let’s go home.”


	52. Chapter 52

2018

“Are Wakanda and Kamar Taj on video yet?” I asked as I walked into the conference room.

Tony stood by two large monitors, fiddling with some wires, “Not yet. We’re having some technical difficulties.” He smiled, “Go get something to eat. It will help calm your nerves.”

Sighing, I left the room and headed to the kitchen. The only other person around was Natasha, sitting at the kitchen island, eating a sandwich. I opened the fridge and pulled out some meat and cheese, intending to make myself a sandwich as well. But when I opened the meat, the smell got to me. I dropped it to the counter, bringing a hand to my mouth.

Natasha gave me a weird look, “Are you okay?”

I shook my head. I could still smell the meat and started to gag. Running to the bathroom just off the kitchen, I threw up what little I had eaten that morning. I sat on the ground by the toilet, resting my head on my knees. Once I had thrown everything up, I felt better. But it worried me, I didn’t have time to be sick. We were going to be going after Thanos, so being sick was not something I could deal with right now.

The door opened and Natasha came in. She crouched down by me, “Jesus, Bri. Are you alright?” She put a hand on my head, “You don’t feel warm. What happened?”

“I don’t know. I just smelled the meat and…” The thought of the smell made me gag again, and I moved my head over the toilet, dry heaving into it, “Fuck. I don’t know, Nat. Maybe it’s just nerves.”

“Have you ever thought…” When I turned to look at her, she shook her head, “No, it can’t be. It’s probably just stress.”

“Have I ever thought about what?” I stood and grabbed a cup, filling it with water so I could rinse my mouth out.

“Are you late?”

“Late?” I turned to her, confused. After a few seconds of her staring at me, my eyes widened, “Oh fuck.” I thought back, trying to remember, “Shit, I’m late.” I crouched down, digging to the back of the cupboard. I pulled out a pink box and stood up.

“Since when do the bathrooms have pregnancy tests?”

I pulled my pants down a little and sat down on the toilet, “Bucky and I decided to start trying to have kids almost two years ago. We haven’t been able to get pregnant, but I put these in each bathroom just in case.” She turned away while I peed on the stick. Once I finished, I put it on the counter and pulled up my pants, “What do I do, Nat? We’re going to fight Thanos. I can’t be pregnant.”

“If you are, it will be fine.” Natasha placed a hand on my shoulder, “You’re not showing yet, no one needs to know.”

“But Bucky…”

“Look, I’m not going to tell you to lie to Bucky. But I know that if I were pregnant, and Steve knew, he wouldn’t let me go to fight Thanos.” She frowned, “I don’t think Bucky would tell you not to, but he would be worried about you the entire time.”

“I don’t think I can lie to him.” I tried not to look at the test, knowing it still needed more time, “It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Let’s just wait and see what it says.”

A knock sounded on the door and Steve said, “Babe, Tony’s got everything set up. Wakanda and Kamar Taj are on the line. Everyone else is here. You okay in there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she didn’t sound fine. “Food just disagreed with me. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“You know where Brianna is? This is her meeting after all.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be there.”

We heard footsteps leaving and I turned to look at the test. “I’m pregnant,” my voice came out in a whisper. I felt my eyes start to well up and I looked to the ceiling, trying to keep from crying, “I’m pregnant.”

She pulled me into her arms, rubbing my back. “Is this a good thing?” she spoke soft enough that I almost didn’t hear her.

“Yes… and no.” I sighed, “We’ve been trying, so to know it finally worked… that makes me so happy. I’m just scared, Nat. In a few days, we’re going to face Thanos. What if something happens…”

“Don’t think that way.” She wrapped the test up in a paper towel, tossing it in the trash, “Let’s go out to the meeting, figure out how everything is going to work, and not borrow trouble before it happens. None of us know what is going to happen.”

I opened the door, “Come on, we need to get to the meeting.”

She grabbed my arm, stopping me from leaving, “Bri, don’t stress about this. There are so many things to be stressed about, this is not one of them. If you decide to tell Bucky, he’s going to be overjoyed. He loves you.”

“I know.” I smiled, “Let’s go plan to kill Thanos.”

In the conference room, everyone sat around the table. The Wakandans on one monitor, Kamar Taj on the other. Bucky gave me a small smile, then I went and stood at the head of the table, facing the monitors and the people in the room, “First, I just wanted to thank everyone for being here today. I know this affects everyone on Earth, but still, you didn’t have to do this.”

“Wakanda stands with you, Brianna,” T’Challa said.

“As does Kamar Taj,” Wong added. “I’ve also sent a few men to Wakanda, they should be arriving at any minute now. They will be the ones that transport you to Titan.”

“Thank you, I will make sure they are greeted when they arrive.”

I placed a hand on my stomach briefly, remembering why I was doing this. “We are doing this for the future of the planet. For our children. For our children’s children. If anyone wants to back out, no one will think less of you. Death is a very real possibility.”

No one said anything, just stared at me. I smiled, “Well, good. I don’t have an inspiring speech planned, nor any words to make what we’re doing seem easier than it is.” I took a deep breath, “This is quite possibly the most important thing we'll ever do. So, it’s imperative that we all know our parts in this.”

“Wakanda and Kamar Taj, you guys are going to be on standby. If he brings an army, we’re going to need you. But I don’t want to have too many people there to force him into an action that could hurt our chances of ending this.”

“We understand,” T’Challa said. 

“So, here’s the game plan.”

We spent the next hour talking about my idea for how to defeat Thanos. The expressions on their faces ranged from ‘this is a bad idea’ to ‘I think it will work.’ Bucky was the only one who didn’t have any expression on his face.

He looked at me, “Are you sure this is the only way?”

“No, but if you have a better idea, I’m all ears.” He just shook his head and I looked back to everyone else, “Does anyone else have an idea? I’ve been thinking about nothing else but this for eight years, so if you can think of something…”

“Why does it have to be you?” Steve asked softly.

“He won’t be expecting me.” I held up my arms, “Would any of you think that I could be dangerous? No. I’m just a girl, Steve. The rest of you have an air of danger about you. I just want this to be done. I’m willing to sacrifice myself to save this world if that is what it comes to.”

T’Challa nodded, “We’ll be waiting for your signal.” His screen went black.

Wong said pretty much the same thing, and his screen went black as well. I turned and left the room, heading to our apartment. As I sat down on the couch, Bucky came in and joined me, pulling me into his arms, “I don’t want to lose you, baby girl.” He pressed a kiss to my temple, “But I agree with you, Thanos needs to be stopped.”

I straddled him, kissing him deeply, “I love you, Bucky.”

He lifted the shirt over my head, “I love you too, baby girl.” He grinned, “And since I know it will make you smile, I’ll say it. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”

I laughed as he nipped at my neck, “God, I love you.”

 

A few days later we stood outside preparing to transport to Titan, Thanos’s ruined homeworld. He had responded to my message that Gamora had relayed to him. His response, that he would be there in a few hours. We were heading early to get there before him, hoping to have at least somewhat of a head start.

Everyone wore their battle gear, except me. In order to appear less threatening, I wore jeans and a t-shirt. The only weapons on me, Wolf and Winter in their respective hip sheaths. Bucky held my hand, squeezing it tightly, trying to give me his strength. I hadn’t told him about the baby, knowing that he wouldn’t want me to risk my life, to risk the life of our baby. But there was nothing I wouldn’t risk to save those I care about.

Dr. Strange opened a portal to Titan and we stepped through, one by one. The planet stood in ruins, all greenery gone. I could see why Thanos thought that population control would help fix this problem on other planets. However, his reasoning was flawed. Fixing overpopulation and climate change required more than getting rid of people. It required a change in thinking of the way people live.

Once we were all there, we scoped out the terrain. There was a large open area, relatively flat, with no ruins or things to hide behind. We took up position on one side of the open area, waiting for him to arrive.

It didn’t take long before Thanos and his two lackeys arrived, walking up to the open area from the other side. They stopped, staring at us. He yelled over the distance, “I’m here for the stones.”

I made a show of taking off my belt and handing it to Bucky. Giving him a soft kiss, I whispered, “I love you.” Then I turned to Thanos and started walking forward, holding my hands in the air. When I was about fifteen feet away from him, I stopped and nodded at him, “Thanos.”

He had confusion in his eyes, but he stepped closer to me, his sword still in his hand, “Who are you?”

“My name is Brianna Barnes.” I lowered my hands and started the hardest part of our entire plan, “I agree with you, Thanos. This world… this universe is infected by a plague. A plague of overpopulation.”

“You… agree with me?” he seemed even more confused.

“Yes.” I smiled, trying to convince him, “That’s why I called you here.” I nodded to the group at my back, “They don’t know why I’m here, they think we’re here to kill you. I tricked them.”

The look in his eyes changed from confusion to disbelief. He grabbed my throat in his large hand and lifted me up off the ground, “I am not stupid, Brianna Barnes. Now, where are my stones?”

I clawed at his hand, trying to get some air to breathe. I heard a voice yell my name from behind me, and I managed to choke out, “Let me go, I’ll get the stones for you.”

Thanos chuckled, “I think after I kill you, they’ll bring me the stones without trouble.” He pulled me closer to him and I dropped my hands behind my back, palms open. He smiled, “They really should have sent someone more…”

His last word choked out when I brought Winter and Wolf forward, stabbing him in the stomach. Thanos dropped me, the daggers ripping out of his stomach. As I stood, trying to catch my breath, he fell to his knees. A ship appeared, and the army we had worried about ran down the ramp and Thanos started to laugh, loudly.

I placed Wolf and Winter together and concentrated. They rippled together, forming into a four-foot-long white sword. The handle, a mixture of white, grey, and red all mingled together. I held the sword to his throat, “Call them off.”

“Why would I do that?”

I leaned forward, my voice came out hoarse, “You are not inevitable, Thanos. You are a scourge across the galaxy, killing those who you think don’t deserve to live. But you know what? I’m going to stop you.” I rubbed a hand on my throat, trying to get more air into my lungs. I pulled the sword back, “I will always go for the head.”

Swinging the sword, I went for his neck. It made it about halfway through his thick muscle, before getting stuck. His body fell to the ground and I put a foot on his body, pulling the sword out. Then I swung again, slicing through the rest of his neck.

Skewering his head with the sword, I held it up. I could feel blood drip down the sword onto my hand. My throat hurt from him gripping me tight and I was having a hard time breathing. My vision began to blacken and I felt myself sway. 

But still, I yelled as loudly as I could, “Your leader is dead. You have a choice.” I made the hand signal, and when the army stopped, I knew that the portals had been opened. I thrust the head higher, “If you choose to fight, you will die. Every last one of you. We will take no prisoners. We will offer no peace.” I looked left and right at the aliens in front of me, then I turned to Thanos’s lackeys, “Your boss is dead. You have the same choice as everyone else. My friends want to kill you to a man, but I’m giving you the option to leave. There has been enough death.”

Half of the army disappeared back into the ship, the other half still staring at us. His lackeys looked at me, and one of them sighed and turned around, signaling to the army. When they left, he turned back to me, “How do you know we won’t come for you later?”

I slowly lowered the head to the ground, trying my best to remain upright. I shrugged, “I don’t. But I have the stones, and your boss is dead. On my side, I have people who are stronger than you. Your powers are immense, but my friends are more powerful then you could even imagine.”

The alien looked at me with a slight smile on his face, “We will leave you alone. While Thanos’s ideal will live on, I have no desire to fight you right now.”

They left, getting onto the ship. Once the ship departed, I fell on my knees. My vision blackened more and I could feel myself growing weak. A pair of arms encircled me and I stared up into the blue eyes of my husband. He smiled down at me, “You did it, baby girl. The others, they aren’t happy they didn’t get to fight.”

I coughed, “They’ll live.”

His fingers touched my throat and it looked like he had tears in his eyes, “You’ll be okay, baby girl. We’re going to get you home, get you fixed up.”

I looked up at him, lifting my arm to touch his face. My voice came out at barely a whisper, “I love you, Bucky.”

“I love you too, baby girl,” when he kissed me I could feel wetness hitting my face as my eyes closed. As I passed out he said, “Just hang in there.”

 

I woke up in the infirmary. My throat felt like it had been crushed by a car, but at least I could breathe. Looking around, I saw Bruce standing off to one side and Bucky asleep in a chair next to my bed. I coughed and Bucky startled, sitting up straight in the chair. His eyes were red-rimmed like he had been crying.

Before either of us could say anything, Bruce hurried over, “Brianna, you’re awake. Bucky, can you give us a minute?”

I croaked out, “He can stay, Bruce. He is my husband after all.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure?” I nodded and he sighed, “Well, you’re fine. He bruised your esophagus pretty badly, and your oxygen levels were really low when we got you back here. But we managed to get all your vitals back to normal pretty quickly. However, you’ve been unconscious for a week.”

“I’m fine, though?”

“You’re fine.” When I laid my hand on my stomach, his eyes shifted down, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk alone?” I shook my head and grabbed Bucky’s hand, holding it tight. Bruce took a deep breath, “Your baby is fine as well.”

Bucky turned to me, “We’re having a baby?” His eyes shone with unshed tears, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a slow smile, “God, I love you.” He leaned over and kissed me softly. When he pulled back, he looked at Bruce who also looked a little misty-eyed, “They’re both fine, truly?”

Bruce laid a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, “The baby is perfectly healthy, and Brianna will be back to full health in a few weeks when the bruise heals. So yes, they are both fine.”

Bucky stood and picked Bruce up off the floor, gripping him in a tight hug, “We’re having a baby.”

2060

My daughter set her five-year-old little girl on my lap. “Erica has been asking for you to tell her the story ever since I told her we were going to come and visit. Will you keep her occupied while I talk to Dad?” she let out a light laugh.

“Of course, Audrey,” I cuddled my granddaughter against my chest. When she left the room, I could hear Bucky and Audrey talking in the kitchen.

Erica leaned her head back and looked at me, “Tell me the story grandma. Please?”

I smiled, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I want to hear how you and grandpa met. Mommy won’t tell me.”

I placed a kiss on the top of her head, “It all started one hot summer day as I left the movie theater…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that has read this story. It means so much to me that people are reading it and enjoying it. This is why I write, to hopefully make people feel something. To create a world that people can step inside and get lost in. 
> 
> I hope this story ended satisfactorily for everyone. The ending is always the hardest part to write. You have to say goodbye to characters that have been thinking about for so long, and it always feels like you could have done a better job. 
> 
> If you want to be notified when I write post my next story, if you follow this story: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19106860, you will be notified whenever I post a new story.


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